


Forget It

by deansbrave



Category: Naruto
Genre: Cheating, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, FAMILY BETRAYALS, Healing, Mention of past relationships, Moving On, family plots, gonna go through the main plot, more tags to come as this progesses, oc is a bar owner and jonin, plus my own original plot points, shit getting real out here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2019-11-03 17:40:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 39,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17882270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deansbrave/pseuds/deansbrave
Summary: And if you must come my way, I would put you back in place





	1. Chapter 1

“Oi” Kakashi said looking at Asuma

 

“Hm?”

 

“Whats wrong with Fujikaze?”

 

Ren Fujikaze, Jonin, Bar Owner, and part time bartender was currently at the end of the bar farthest away from her guests an air of what could only be called overwhelming depression seemed to be hanging about her.

 

“Ah, you didn’t hear?” Asuma asked.  Every one that graduated the academy when they did seemed to know each other’s business.  Kakashi just had a knack for staying the hell out of drama he wanted no part of.

 

“About?”

 

“Genma, and Ren broke up” Asuma said.

 

“Really? They were in here just last week dancing.  They seemed happy.”

 

“Not happy enough for him to not cheat on me!” Fujikaze snapped from her end of the bar.  The cloud was no longer overwhelming depression.  It was now full of aggression, and energy.

 

“I’m sorry” Kakashi apologized.  Fujikaze shook her head.

 

“Nothing to be sorry for, now it sounds like to me you boys need some shots, and no more of this sake bullshit if you’re gonna drink with me, we’re drinking real alcohol”

 

“Ren, no” Asuma began protesting as she poured three shots.

 

“Ren, yes” she replied “We haven’t been black out drunk in a long time.”

 

“The last time we got black out drunk we woke up in a holding cell” Asuma sighed.

 

“Sounds like you two get up to some fun when you drink” Kakashi chuckled grabbing his shot.

 

“Konohas number one drinking team.  Anyone who thinks they can out drink us, has another thing coming”

 

“Boss you’re not neglecting customers just to drink are you?”

 

A young woman entered the bar her long honey brown hair was pulled into a loose bun atop her head, dark eyes trained on Fujikaze in a scolding manner.

 

“I’m not neglecting them, I’m drinking with them” Fujikaze replied taking her shot glass, cheersing with the two men and downing them.

 

“That’s just as bad boss.  Just cause you’re going through a break up doesn’t mean you need to do this to yourself.”

 

“That’s the perfect reason to get drunk” Fujikaze said refilling her shot glass, and downing it immediately.

 

“Let your boss do what she wants Hyuna.  You already know shes gonna do it anyway” Asuma laughed at his own statement.  It was true though.  Ren Fujikaze red haired, and red hot temper to match was never known for being silent, and just sitting there allowing others to tell her what to do.

 

“Well just her luck I’m coming in to close.” Hyuna said stepping behind the bar.

 

“Which means I get to really do whatever I want now” Fujikaze grinned at the two men.

 

“Here we go” Asuma shook his head “You better get us those dice Hyuna, we’re gonna be playing all night.”

 

Fujikaze grinned ear to ear at Asuma “There’s my drinking buddy!”

 

Kakashi chuckled not entirely sure what he was in for tonight, but there was no way it could be that bad right?

 

* * *

 

Fujikaze was hiccupping with every sentence she spoke, Asuma was swaying, and Kakashi had to squint at everything to see straight.

 

“Boss, I think it’s time you guys started drinking water” Hyuna said gently removing the dice cup from Fujikaze’s hand.

 

“Never” Fujikaze hiccupped “Water is for quitters.”

 

“We don’t stop” Asuma swayed to the side and almost fell out of his chair just barely catching himself on the bar top.  “We don’t stop till someone blacks out, or we get kicked out” He finished righting himself back into is seat.

 

“And I ain’t about to get kicked out or cut off in my own bar” Fujikaze smirked.

 

“Maaa” Kakashi sighed “I’ll have a water.”

 

Asuma, and Fujikaze stared him down.

 

“I can’t drink like this” He said in retaliation “I’m not built for it.”

 

“Quitter” Fujikaze shook her head “Remind me to not invite him out for binge drinking.”

 

“What?  We’re doin’ this again?” Asuma asked.

 

“I just got out of a two year relationship.  I’m painting the town red!” Fujikaze cackled.

 

Both men groaned.

 

“There you are.”

 

Fujikaze froze, back tensing hard.

 

“Are you going to keep acting this way, or are you going to come home?”

 

She turned to look at Genma, and stared him down hard.

 

“There’s nothing for me to go home to.”

 

“Then where the hell are you sleeping tonight?” He asked hands in his pockets, eyes on her not even paying attention to the other two men who now were at the ready to get to Fujikazes defense if she needed it.

 

“Grandmas.”

 

“You hate her.”

 

“Not as much as I hate you right now.”

 

Genma smirked “You don’t hate me.  You hate what I did, but you don’t hate me.”

 

“Fuck off, and go home to your side bitch.”

 

“That’s all she was you know.  Just a side piece.  Nothing ever compares to, or beats the real deal.”

 

“Then why cheat?!” Fujikaze screamed out of her seat, and trying her best to make her 5’0” height seem like she was getting in Genmas face.

 

“Don’t accuse me of things when you don’t know the whole situation Sweetheart” Genma sighed.  “Besides you’re shit faced, I think it’s time I got you home.”

 

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

 

“I already know you’re not going to your grandmothers, just give it up, and come home.”

 

“You don’t need to worry about her tonight Genma” Asuma stepped in going face to face with the man.  “I’ll make sure she’s safe tonight.”

 

“Safe in your apartment where you can have your way with her?” Genma asked “Don’t think I don’t know about your past with Ren.  I don’t trust you with her as far as I can throw you.”

 

Fujikaze shook her head “I’m not yours to worry about anymore Genma.  Just get out.  And don’t come back.”

 

“You heard her” Asuma said taking another step towards the other jonin.  “Get out.”

 

“Oi.  Don’t threaten me Sarutobi.”

 

“I’m not threatening you Shiranui.  I’m making a promise.”

 

“I think it’s time” Kakashi said, suddenly between Asuma, and Genma before anyone could even react “That we all went home.”

 

Genma shook his head.  “Fine Ren.  Have it your way, but we are gonna talk about this one way or another.”

 

He finally left with one final lingering stare at Fujikaze.  Barely seconds later she was sitting back down on her stool, and sobbing.

 

“Shit” Asuma, and Kakashi sighed in unison.

 

“Ren, c’mon.  Time to get some sleep” Asuma said gently touching her arm.  She nodded, and stood leaning heavily into Asumas side.

 

“Be safe getting home you two” Kakashi said “I’ll see you soon.”

 

“Yeah” Asuma nodded at his friend.

 

* * *

 

“Sorry about the other night” Fujiakze spoke placing a drink down in front of Kakashi.  It had been a couple days since the incident.

 

“Nothing to be sorry about” Kakashi said “You’re ok.  That’s what matters.”

 

“Yeah well I was also a sloppy drunken mess, and I dragged you, and Asuma into it.”

 

“Asuma likes it when you drag him into messes” Kakashi said lowering his mask to sip on his drink.  This little bar when only those closest to him were around was one of the few places where he was comfortable enough to take his mask down, and keep it down.

 

“Nah” Fujikaze shook her head “Those days are long gone.  Him, and I are too old, and grown up for those games again.”

 

“Doesn’t mean either of you don’t care.”

 

Fujikaze shrugged.

 

“As much as we might care, we’re no good for each other.  Me, and Asuma always get into trouble together, or cause trouble, or take things too far between us every time.  He’s dear to me, and I care about him.  But those days are long gone.”

 

“So what about you, and Genma.  Are you going to talk to him?”

 

Fujikaze shrugged again. “Its hard to just throw away two years on someone you love, but if that love is no good for you then it needs to be forgotten.  Genma has done nothing but play with my mind, and my emotions since day one, making me seem like the crazy irrational one.  But I’m not.  And I know that.  He was just trying to control me the best he could.”

 

Kakashi nodded grabbing his drink again “Took you long enough to notice.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Fujikaze frowned at Kakashi.

 

“It means it took you long enough to realize you don’t need to be treated like that by someone just because you care about them.”

 

“Yeah well” Fujikaze sighed, and shrugged once more.  “You do dumb shit for the people you love.  Regardless of how they treat you.  You keep trying, and trying hoping they’ll change…”

 

“And they never do” Kakashi finished.  “Trust me, I know.”

 

“Oh?” Fujikaze smiled softly pouring more sake into Kakashis almost empty glass. “And who is it that broke your heart?”

 

“Just some bartender with a big heart, who doesn’t know how to forgive herself.”

 

Fujikaze dropped the bottle of sake in shock staring wide eyed at the silver haired jonin.


	2. Chapter 2

Drinking everyday was forming into a very bad habit of Fujikazes.  Lately the only time she was one hundred percent painfully sober was when she was out on missions, and due to the current time of peace between the villages missions were few, and far between.  At least, the ones she deemed worthy of her time.

 

The Hokage recently had asked her to take on her own team of genin this year, the graduates were going to be very promising he had assured.  She immediately rejected.  Teaching students meant being sober.

 

Being sober was the absolute last of her priorities.

 

Besides teaching genin meant interacting with the other jonin who were taking on students.  That meant seeing Kakashi.

 

Seeing Kakashi was also one of the last things she wanted to do.

 

Ever since that day in her bar when he’d said that she’d been the one who had broken his heart he hadn’t come back.

 

It was better this way.

 

She was in no head space to even entertain the idea of anything with the silver haired man, let alone process what he had told her.  She, and Kakashi had never been that close, hadn’t had much interaction alone apart from the times on missions which were few, let alone for her to even consider a time in which she could have captured, and broken the mans heart

 

He was a mystery.  Always keeping to himself, always staying far from conflict between people, always willing to lend an ear to a bartender who was too hard on herself, and too giving to those who didn’t deserve half of what she had to offer.

 

And she wouldn’t know that that’s where Kakashis affection began.  Her absolute genuineness, and kind, and giving heart.  Always worrying about everyone before herself, even him.  She didn’t matter to herself, so in a way, she had begun to matter to him.  And from that came affection, turned to adoration, turned to something he didn’t know what to do with.

 

Getting attached was something he tried at all costs to avoid ever since Rin, and Obito.  But the way she grew attached, and welcomed people into her life so easily was something he admired.

 

She gave herself so freely, and he had nothing left to give.

 

“Boss, you can’t be serious” Hyuna sighed eyeing the short, red haired woman.

 

“What?” Fujikaze sighed forehead resting against her open palm as she stared at the counter top.

 

“You’re in here.  Alone.  Drinking.  For the umpteenth day in a row. Isn’t it time that you at least, I don’t know, ate something?”

 

The short woman had never been particularly skinny or muscular.  Rather she carried herself well without becoming all twig, or muscle like most other women in her profession. 

 

“I’m not hungry.”

 

“You’ve been literally just doing nothing but this since you, and Genma broke up.”

 

“Tch.  Genma is the last thing on my mind right now.”

 

“Then why are you doing this to yourself?”

 

“Too much going on in my head.”

 

“Then instead of drinking, why don’t you fucking talk to someone?!” Hyuna yelled “I’m here, I’m your friend, I’ll listen!”

 

“I don’t want to bother you with my dumb problems” Fujikaze finally looked up, and gave a small smile to her friend, and employee “You too busy dealing with this place all the time for me.  I couldn’t possibly ask anything else of you.”

 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me with that bullshit!” Hyuna snapped “I’m not too busy to listen to a friend who clearly needs someone right now.  Ren, you just need to talk, and I will listen.  I promise.”

 

Fujikaze shook her head.  “I’ll be fine.  Try not to worry too much about though, ok? This place needs your attention more.”

 

She finally stood up from her stool, stomach uncomfortably empty as she swayed just the slightest bit.

 

“Where are you going?” Hyuna sighed.

 

“To get some food.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Fujikaze, how nice to see you!”

 

Fujikaze looked over to see one of the village’s chuunin enter Ichiraku Ramen with one of his students in tow.

 

“Iruka.  How are things at the academy?” She asked sipping her sake while she waited for her ramen to be finished.

 

“The newest class is graduating soon, isn’t that right Naruto?” He smiled down at his student.

 

That’s right.  Naruto Uzumaki.  Her former sensei’s son.  She had been a part of Minato Namikazes second team after having lost two of his students, while the remaining went on to bigger, and better things.

 

“Good to hear.  The village is always ready for more shinobi to join the ranks.”

 

“And how are things going with your bar?”

 

“Bar?” Naruto asked “No wonder you reek like alcohol.”

 

“Naruto!” Iruka snapped smacking the kid upside the head. “Don’t speak to a respected Jonin like that!”

 

“Is it really that bad?” Fujikaze asked looking at Naruto.

 

“Don’t encourage him!” Iruka snapped.

 

“It’s pretty bad lady.  You could wipe out the whole village with that stench.” The kid turned his nose up at her.  She smiled, he looked like this father, but he definitely acted like his mother.

 

“Well, I guess I’ll have to take care of that after I’m done with my meal” She sighed in content as her bowl was placed in front of her “Hey” She said looking at the old man who owned the stand “Whatever those two order is on me.”

 

“Yeah!” Naruto yelled sitting down at the counter “One bowl with everything in it gramps!”

 

“Naruto!” Iruka yelled again, then looked to Fujikaze “You don’t have to do that Fujikaze.”

 

“I don’t” She agreed “But it’s the least I owe sensei.”

 

Iruka sighed, and smiled “Of course.”

 

“And besides, you’ve done a pretty good job takin’ care of the kid.  You deserve something for all your work too.  If he’s anything like his mother, then I already know it’s difficult enough to deal with him.”

 

Iruka laughed “He’s not that bad, and neither was she.”

 

“You have the patience of a saint Iruka.” 

           

 

* * *

 

 

It was on her walk home she finally saw him for the first time in weeks.  She had been walking home, and suddenly he was beside her.

 

“Fujikaze” He greeted.

 

“Hatake” She replied.

 

“How have you been?”

 

She stopped dead in the middle of the empty alleyway, and looked over at Kakashi mustering up the nastiest look she could give him.

 

“Just fucking peachy.”

 

“Is something the matter?”

 

She shook her head, and kept walking.

 

“It’s nothing” She said.

 

“Doesn’t seem like nothing.”

 

“Ok, it might not be nothing, but’s its nothing you need to worry about.  I’ll be fine.”

 

“You always say that” Kakashi said “And you’re rarely ever fine.”

 

Fujikze rolled her eyes as the steps to her apartment building came in sight.

 

“Well I’m fine enough that I made it home in one piece” She said grabbing the railing of the stair case.

 

“You smell like alcohol” Kakashi noted.

 

“Oh come on, you too?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Look, I’m done drinking for the day, I finally ate. I’m going home to clean up, and then I’m going to bed, alright?”

 

“Good.  Asuma said he was starting to worry about you, I’ll… be able to tell him you’re alright.”

 

“Asuma was worried about me?” Fujikaze stared the tall man down.

 

“Very.”

 

“And he told you this?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Instead of coming to speak to me like he would any other time he was worried, or wanted to see me?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“Uh huh” Fujikaze huffed a small laugh “Well you can tell _Asuma_ he doesn’t need to worry about me.”

 

“Well at the very least I need to walk you to your door” Kakashi insisted “Otherwise Asuma would be upset with me.”

 

“Oh, of course” Fujikaze nodded mockingly. She could see the small smile form behind Kakashis mask. 

 

They walked up the steps together in silence, Fujikaze keeping her eyes down at her feet as she walked to her door.  They stopped on the fifth floor in front of the apartment that was at the very back of the building.

 

“Well, you’ll be able to report to Asuma that I got home just fine” Fujikaze smiled at the silver haired man.

 

“He’ll be relieved” Kakashi assured.

 

“And… thank you” Fujikaze said as she unlocked her door,

 

“What for?”

 

“… For knowing I just needed someone to check in on me.”

 

Kakashi sighed softly, and put both his hands in his pockets.

 

“Anytime Fujikaze.  If you need me, I’m here.”

 

And maybe that was also it.  He wanted to be needed.  And she needed anyone.  Anyone at all that truly cared without making it seem like it was an obligation.

 

Hyuna cared cause Fujikaze was her boss.

 

Asuma cared because they’d been close for so many years it was just a habit, and one that they both agreed they needed to kick.

 

Kakashi cared because… she didn’t know why he cared.  And maybe that’s what had scared her.  She always pressed Genma, and begged to know why he cared about her, and why he wanted to be with her.  And all he’d ever done every time was shrug, and say he didn’t know.  There was just something that he guess he liked.  Until he didn’t.

 

“Kakashi…” She finally said, dropping the formalities for the first time since knowing him “Why do you care about me so much?”

 

And the disbelief had to be transparent on her face, because Kakashi seemed taken aback by the question, and the raw emotion in her face.

 

“Because… because you remind me of something I lost a long time ago.  And I mean that in a good way Ren. You’re so open, and genuine, and people flock to you because of those things, and I guess I admire that about you… but I’m also jealous of it.  And jealous of the people who capture your attention.”

 

And maybe it was all the alcohol, and other substances floating around in her system, or maybe the lack of nutrition, or the lack of sleep – something.  It was something of those things that made her more bold with the man than she ever expected.

 

“Kakashi… would you like to come in for a drink? I have things that aren’t alcohol too” She assured.  She expected him to say no, to mock her, to make her feel like a fool for putting herself out there like nearly everyone else did.

 

“I’d like that” He said.

 

Even Fujikaze could be surprised sometimes.  But Fate was all about timing, and it was never kind, because at just that moment a certain dark haired jonin rounded the corner.

 

"Hey, Ren" Asuma called out.  Fujikaze stared in shock at Asuma, and then looked at Kakashi who seemed to almost deflate with disappointment.

 

"Hey" She called back "What's up?"

 

"Nothing really.  I stopped by Takako to see you, and Hyuna said you'd finally left so I thought I might be able to catch you here." He explained.

 

"Why?"

 

"Wanted to check in on you, see how you were doing.  Make sure you were ok" He shrugged.  "By the way, Kakashi what are you doing here?"

 

The silver haired man shrugged in response "I was heading home myself, and just happened to run into Fujikaze.  So I walked her home."

 

"Damn, you're already that drunk that you needed Kakashi to walk you home?" Asuma laughed "Looks like I gotta catch up."

 

"And that sounds like my cue to leave" Kakashi smiled at the two "After all, I'm officially uninvited from binge drinking.  Have a good night you two."

 

"You too Kakashi" Asuma called turning to Fujikaze, and putting his arm around her shoulders.  "How you been holding up kiddo?"

 

And finally Kakashi could see it, the tough exterior melt away as she turned into Asuma's chest, and began to cry.  He didn't want to think about why that made him envious.  He'd been so close to finally cracking that wall, to her finally letting him close enough.  To finally needing him.

 

He just wanted to be needed.


	3. Chapter 3

The road to recovery is hard.  Even harder when you’re not even sure it’s what you really want.  Fujikaze struggled to lessen her alcohol consumption while Kakashi struggled to wrap his head around whatever feelings he could possibly beginning to harbor for said bartender.

 

The call for falling into a bad habit was always strong, especially stronger when you needed something to take the edge off, and that’s just what she needed right now with this particular mission.

 

The location of the remains of a missing nin.  It had been three weeks now, and she was told to assume the worst.  She was looking for a body; this was not a rescue mission.  It was here on her own mission in the land of waves that it turned into a new mission.

 

“Hey!” a loud voice called in the middle of the crowded street “You’re the lady from the ramen shop!”

 

Fujikaze paid no mind to it until a hand gripped at the sleeve of her jacket.  Her mission outfit consisted of a black mock neck body suit that cut off into shorts, and a large red jacket tied at the waist, and the shoulders of the jacket hanging down past her shoulders.  With it she wore black stockings, and the typical sandals that went up to her knees.

 

“What?”

 

It was him.  The blonde kid from the ramen stand back in Konoha.  Naruto Uzumaki.

 

“What the hell are you doing here?” She snapped “And where’s your sensei?”

 

Two other children joined him, a girl with long pink hair, and a bright smile, and a dark haired boy with a frown that she recognized all too well.

 

“Kakashi-sensei is on bed rest for a few days right now.” The pink haired girl answered.

 

“That still didn’t answer my question” She sighed, now even more worried upon hearing the words that Kakashi was on bed rest. “Sasuke what happened?”

 

The boy regarded her for a moment before he replied “There was a fight with an S Rank criminal while we’re here on our mission to protect the bridge builder.  His name is Zabuza Momochi.”

 

This is the moment that if Fujikaze had anything in her mouth she would’ve spit it out.

 

“Hey, Sasuke?” Naruto asked, fingers interlaced behind his head “How do you know the lady?”

 

“She’s my cousin.”

 

Both of the other Genin looked at her in astonishment crying in shock.

 

“WHAT?!?!?!”

 

“We have the same Grandma” Fujikaze shrugged, then turned her gaze back to Sasuke “You didn’t tell me that Kakashi was your teacher.”

 

“You don’t ever come to Grandma’s” He replied.  She rolled her eyes.

 

“Where’s Kakashi now?” She asked

 

“Resting back at the bridge builder’s house.  Why?” Naruto asked.

 

“Because my mission has officially changed to whatever the hell mission you guys are on.  Honestly what the hell is that man thinking taking three novice level genin on a fucking S Rank mission?  I’m going to wring his fucking scarecrow neck!” Fujikaze snapped.

 

* * *

 

It was with reluctance, and promise from Fujikaze not to harm Kakashi further that they took her back to the bridge builders home.

 

“Gramps! We found another ninja from home to help!” Naruto declared upon entry.  All eyes immediately went to her as she entered the home. The old man, a young woman in maybe her early 30’s, and a young boy.

 

“Good to hear” The old man responded standing up “We need all the help we can get.”

 

“Before I get briefed on the mission… where’s Kakashi?”

 

* * *

 

“What the hell is wrong with you thinking it’s ok to keep going on with this mission with three genin?!” Fujikaze yelled at the silver haired man laying down with the blanket pulled up to his chin.

 

“I was thinking that this mission is too dangerous for us to just leave the bridge builder unprotected.”

 

Fujikaze sighed in defeat.  She couldn’t disagree. Especially with the name Zabuza Momochi being thrown into the mix.

 

“They’re so grossly unprepared for a mission like this.”

 

“Just my luck you showed up then” Kakashi replied easily enough “What are you doing in the Land of Waves anyway?”

 

“An assignment to find the remains of a missing nin.”

 

Kakashi seemed to be deep in thought for a moment “And now you’ve changed your mission to this?”

 

“My mission is complete.  I decided to add this mission to my roster when your students found me in the market place” She replied.

 

“Well good” Kakashi said sitting up with minimal difficulty “I’ll need your help to make sure I’m ready for the field again.  And to help make these kids as ready as they can be as well.”

 

“This is crazy” Fujikaze shook her head “Like really crazy.”

 

“I know.”

 

“If any of those kids gets hurt I’m gonna hurt you” Fujikaze snapped.

 

“I’ve never seen you so passionate about something that wasn’t alcohol” Kakashi quipped, maybe a little too snappily.

 

“One of those boys is Sensei’s son.  The other is one of two family members I have left in this world, and the last one is just some poor girl who has next to no idea what she’s doing here.  I mean it, if any of them get hurt, I’m out for your blood.”

 

“Which is why I will train them so they don’t get themselves hurt, trust me Ren.  That is the last thing I want as well.”

 

She nodded, and looked down at her hand for a moment before looking back at Kakashi.

 

“I’m glad you’re ok as well” She smiled softly at him “When Naruto told me you were on bed rest I assumed the absolute worst.”

 

“I’m no worse for wear” He said “A little tired, but chakra exhaustion is hell on the body.”

 

“On that note, what do you have planned to help train them?”

 

“Chakra control.”

 

“You don’t mean…?”

 

“Climbing trees” Kakashi replied brightly.

 

Fujikaze snorted “Oh that’s gonna be hell for them.”

 

“Indeed.”


	4. Chapter 4

“How’re you feeling?” Fujikaze asked looking down at Kakashi.

 

“Getting there” He grunted pushing up off his index finger while she sat on his back.

 

“You really think Sakura protecting the bridge builder alone is a good idea?”

 

“It’ll be fine for now” Kakashi grunted again going down.  “I know that as long as I am not fit for a fight neither is Zabuza.”

 

“If he’s still alive.”

 

“Correct.”

 

“Do you think he is?”

 

“I’ve seen less skilled shinobi manage to worm their way out of worse.”

 

Fujikaze nodded in agreement.

 

“You almost done down there?” She asked “We kinda gotta go check on the children, not to mention some actual training for us as well.”

 

“Yeah, just one” Kakashi grunted pushing up “More.”

 

He went down, and Fujikaze got up from his back.  Kakashi turned to sit up, and regard the kunoichi.

 

“What?” Fujikaze asked folding her arms.

 

“Nothing you seem… more lively lately.  It looks good on you.”

 

Fujikaze felt her face flush at the comment.  She wasn’t sure if she was embarrassed for flattered.

 

“Well, I cut back on the drinking a lot. Mostly cause of the mission I was on originally while I was out here but…” She shrugged not sure how to finish the thought.

 

“How’re your eyes?” Kakashi asked.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Sasuke mentioned that they’ve been giving you trouble lately.  I know most Uchiha’s end up with bad vision after some time.”

 

“I’m only half Uchiha, and my Sharingan never manifested” She shrugged “My eyes are fine though.  Not too much to worry about other than that I’ll have a pair of glasses waiting for me at the eye doctor when I get back to Konoha.  How’s your eye doing?” She asked tapping her own eye.

 

“Almost back to normal” He replied “Just have to be careful how long I let a fight drag out when I use it.”

 

“Never assumed you to be the get in get out type” Fujikaze chuckled to herself.

 

“Well, only in certain situations” Kakashi replied, causing Fujikaze to only laugh harder.

 

“Come on” Fujikaze chukled shaking her head “We gotta check on the idiots.”

* * *

 

 

“Coming along nicely boys” Fujikaze called looking at their progress on the trees.  Not nearly as good as Sakura, and Sasuke seemed to be just a little better at control than Naruto but for only two days worth of practice, she had to say they seemed to be doing well enough.

 

It had taken Fujikaze herself three weeks to master the tree climbing.  Don’t even get her started on how long walking on water took.

 

Both boys came crashing back down as the intrusion broke their focus.  They landed easily, and turned to the two Jonin.

 

“What are you two doing here?” Sasuke asked panting.

 

“Just out for a little stroll to see where the winds of fate will take us” Kakashi replied.  Fujikaze shook her head.  He needed to stop reading so much.

 

“We’re heading out a little past here to do some training ourselves.  Just some sparing, and light jutsu practice to make sure your sensei here is in top shape” Fujikaze smiled at her younger cousin.  Sasuke didn’t like that. Didn’t like the idea of his cousin being alone with men.  He’d seen her distressed, and sad enough times because of other men, and what they’ve put her through.  He didn’t like it, no matter how close they were.

 

“Oi” Sasuke called looking straight at Kakashi.  The older man looked at his student, and it seemed a silent conversation took place.

 

“Don’t worry too much Sasuke.  She’s in good hands with me.”

 

Fujikaze looked between the two for a moment, and then looked at her cousin.

 

“Little dude” Fujikaze said stepping up to the young boy “You’re too young to be worrying about me, and my safety” She flicked his nose in retaliation, and then turned to Kakashi.  “Lets go.”

 

He nodded, keeping his smile to himself.  The two Jonin disappeared into the tree line, and the boys watched them go.

 

“Hey” Naruto spoke.

 

“What?” Sasuke sighed in annoyance, already knowing whatever was going to come out of his teammates mouth was just going to piss him off.

 

“Why does Kakashi-Sensei want to be alone with Ren-Sensei? You think they’re gonna do it?”

 

Sasuke slowly turned his head to look at Naruto, pure death radiating from his gaze.

 

“What?” Naruto yelled “It’s a good question!”

 

“Shut up, before I make you shut up” Sasuke replied cooly.

 

“Yeesh, alright” Naruto sighed “Don’t know why you’re so sensitive about it.”

 

* * *

 

Fujikaze’s kick was deflected by Kakashis forearm, using his own strength, and little chakra he sent her flying back while she was still in the air coming down from her jump kick.  She managed to twist in the air feet planting firmly against the large tree trunk he’d sent her flying into, her feet gripped perfectly, and by exerting the right amount of chakra she sent herself flying back at the copy ninja while forming the hand signs for the fireball jutsu so sacred to the uchiha clan.

 

Kakashi narrowly missed the impact putting up a mud wall just in time to counter.  When the mud wall came down she was gone, and out of sight.  He sighed to himself trying to pin down her location but he couldn’t.  Until he saw the shadow coming down quickly.  He looked up again, and it was too late, her heel came crashing down on his head sending him straight into the ground.

 

“Give up yet?” She called standing up, and panting; her hands on her hips.  Kakashi put a hand to his head, and stood up.

 

“There is no giving up” he replied “But I can agree that this is a stalemate.”

 

Fujikaze thought about for a moment, then cracked a smile “I’ll take it.”

 

“One thing though” He began.

 

“Huh?”

 

“What the hell is it with Tsunade teaching all of you women to kick people?”

 

Fujikaze laughed “That wasn’t even full strength Kakashi.  I can’t go all out on someone who’s still recovering.”

 

Kakashis eyebrow quirked at the challenge.

 

“Oh? Is that so?”

 

“You know it’s a fact” She smirked “You’ve seen what I can do to just the ground, imagine if I did that full force against someone I have something against.”

 

Kakashi surveyed they’re training ground, and it was true.  Craters, and rubble littered the area from where all her hits contacted from where she’d missed.  It was monster strength, and it was impressive.

 

Kakashi made a reminder to himself to do his best to never piss Fujikaze off.


	5. Chapter 5

 “Ren!” Kakashi yelled. 

 

Zabuza’s sword struck her shoulder just as she finished forming the hand signs for her fireball jutsu.  The fireball fired, but missed as Fujikaze’s hand went numb from one of the masked hunter nin’s needles.  Both of her arms dropped uselessly to her sides as Kakashi moved himself right in front of her.

 

Kakashi pushed her back, letting her fall into the spot right next to Tazuna while Sakura continued to guard his front, and Sasuke his other side. 

 

“Fuck!” Fujikaze screamed watching as Zabuza swung again connecting with Kakashis shadow clone.

 

“Is the only kind of Jonin your village produce useless?” Zabuza taunted. 

 

“You say that now Zabuza, but she was still giving you a hard time until your apprentice interfered” Kakashi snapped back. 

 

He was always ready to defend, and come to Fujikaze’s aid it seemed.  She wasn’t sure why or how.

 

“Zabuza!” She yelled, using her arm with the shoulder wound to yank the needle out of her other arm “Don’t you count me out yet!”

 

“I hadn’t planned on it Little Girl.  Haku” Zabuza called without looking back to his apprentice. “You’ve found a rival in the other boy, I say you test the waters.”

 

Before anyone could even think of moving the masked boy had separated Sasuke from the group, and trapped him in a jutsu made of ice.  Fujikaze made it back to her feet, making shadow clones of her own to send into the mirrors, only for them to be decimated instantly.

 

“Ren! Don’t waste your chakra, there’s no use in shadow clones; they’ll only be destroyed instantly” Kakashi called his presence in front of Zabuza the only thing holding the criminal in place.

 

Fujikaze growled biting her lip.  Her eyes flashed between Kakashi holding Zabuza back, and Sasuke trapped within the ice mirrors.

 

She wanted to be fast enough, she wanted to help, she wanted to save everyone.  She wanted to _see_.

 

It happened slowly, but she knew something started to shift. She could see every moment in perfect clarity, it seemed almost as if reality slowed down but still continued to move in real time.  She could see every single movement.  Every single inhale, and exhale, every muscle twitch.

 

Slowly but surely something was changing.

 

She could tell as she stood herself back up.

 

“Like I said Zabuza” She grunted lifting both hands to create the seals “Don’t count me out.”

 

Several shadow clones appeared, some heading to the mirrors to try, and shield Sasuke, and the others and her physical form headed towards the criminal.  Zabuza easily created more water clones that met, and fought Fujikaze’s clones until all clones were gone, and Fujikaze’s physical form sent the most monstrous punch she could at Zabuza.

 

The criminal went flying as her fist connected, the chakra force so strong he couldn’t even think to counter it before it landed.

 

“Ren?” Kakashi asked softly.  She looked up at him, her gaze determined as her fists clenched even harder.

 

“I’ve got your back” She replied.

 

“Your eyes” He said.

 

“What about them?” She shook her head “This isn’t the time.  I can see just fine.  We’ve got to save the kids, and Tazuna. That’s more important right now.”

 

“Right” Kakashi nodded lifting his headband.  “We’re going to end this as quickly as possible.”

 

* * *

 

“He loved you, He really, really loved you!” Naruto screamed at Zabuza “And you just don’t care?!”

 

Fujikaze stood next to Kakashi, her thigh touching his shoulder as they watched the young genin talk.  Across the bridge stood countless hired mercenaries, and Gatoh. Kicking the young dead boys body.  Fujikaze wanted to kill the man herself for that.  But there were too many people to protect that horrible man.

 

“Kakashi” She growled, the anger in her face, and voice plain for all to see.  His hand reached out, and squeezed her calf in reassurance.

 

“We can’t act carelessly” He replied.

 

“Then you be responsible, and let me keep being the dumb irrational one” She said stepping forward.  His grip on her calf tightened.

 

“Not a chance.”

 

“When someone becomes as strong as you… do you really think you can just treat people like objects, and just toss them aside?” Naruto yelled “You were his world, and he loved you!”

 

“Kid” Zabuza finally called “Just stop.”

 

“But! –”

 

Zabuza turned to look at Naruto, tears running down his face “You’ve said more than enough.  It broke Haku’s heart to fight for me, and it broke his heart even more to fight you.  In the end, he was just too kind” Zabuza shook his head, and looked to the three shinobi.

 

“I’m glad you were our last opponents” He said turning back to look at Gatoh, and his crew.  He bit the wrappings across his face open with his teeth “Ninja aren’t just emotionless tools.  Looks like I lose.”

 

Zabuza paushed for a moment, and then his face set in determination, and anger.  “Kid.  Give me your kunai.”

 

With tears still running down his face, Naruto pulled one of his kunai from his leg pouch, and tossed it to Zabuza.  The criminal caught it between his teeth.

 

It seemed like even without arms Zabuza was still more than a formidable foe. He quickly made his way through the hired, and useless mercenaries, all the way to Gatoh taking the man out.

 

Between the terrifying strength of Zabuza’s, the entire village showing up armed, and the shadow clones of the three shinobi that the mercenaries ran in fear. The crowd of villagers began to cheer in victory having finally won their land back.

 

Fujikaze held her shoulder, and followed Kakashi as he made his way to Zabuza, and lifted him up to carry him over to Haku.  The young boy was already gone, but Zabuza still wanted to say goodbye.

 

Neither of them were inherently evil, nor were they bad people.  They were products of their environment.  And the simple fact was that the Land of Waves did not make a suitable climate for them to grow to be the people they could’ve been.

 

Regardless, they found each other, and they made a life together.  Zabuza playing the caregiver to a boy who so desperately wanted paternal love of any kind in any package he could find.

 

And Fujikaze understood it so terribly.

 

She wept for the boy, and the loss of her own parents, and Zabuza’s loss.  She let Kakashi lay Zabuza down beside Haku as she made her way over to the children.  She turned her gaze to Sasuke, and he sighed as she knelt to before him to look into his eyes.

 

“You don’t even think of put yourself in a situation like that ever again do you understand me?” She said quietly her voice thick with emotion, and tears.

 

“Ren…”

 

“We’re all we got left” She said “I was so scared that you’d…”

 

Sasuke grabbed her, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

 

“We’re not losing each other anytime soon” He said.  Fujikaze wrapped her arms around him, and held tightly.

 

“No” She said “We’re not.”

 

* * *

 

The kids had departed the grave site ahead of the two jonin leaving the two adults in peace.

 

“Ren…”

 

She shook her head.  “All they had was each other.  And in the end, they’re together.  That’s what matters.”

 

Kakashi nodded in silence not looking away from the markers they had placed.  He jolted in surprise looking down at his hand to see her’s holding his tightly.

 

“Yeah” He agreed.

 

“We’re all still here too” She said “And we fought just as hard as they did to stay together.”

 

“Ren…”

 

She sighed, and looked at the silver haired man, her eyes watery, and clouded with a feeling he couldn’t quite place.

 

“Just… if you plan on… staying around me, promise you won’t leave” She looked away “Everyone in the end always leaves me so, if you really care about me in the way you’ve said just… promise you won’t leave.”

 

“I’m not leaving” He said “I promise.”


	6. Chapter 6

Finding Fujikaze was always easy, if she wasn’t at home sleeping she was at her bar (drinking, or bartending, or both.  You never knew what you were gonna get when you found her there) or at her favorite little ramen shop.

 

That was where Kakashi found her today.  Eating with Genma.

 

“Ren.”

 

She looked over her shoulder at Kakashi, but he could tell the look meant not right now.

 

“Hey Hatake” She replied coolly.

 

It was almost unnoticeable the widening of his eye.  But she noticed.

 

“Well, well, well.  If it ain’t Kakashi.  How ya been?” Genma asked turning in his seat to look at the copy ninja.

 

“Can’t complain” He replied.

 

“Heard you took care of my girl in the Land of Waves.”

 

“Genma!” Fujikaze hissed.

 

“What?” He looked at her.

 

“I’m not your girl.”

 

“Then what am I even doing here talking to you if it isn’t about us getting back together?”

 

“I’m not going to waste my time listening to you drone on, and on about why you cheated when you can’t even say sorry for it!” She snapped “You’re a grown ass man, take responsibility for your actions, and then we can fucking talk.”

 

Fujikaze got up in a rush, and exited the ramen shop leaving Genma there.  He sighed in frustration rubbing the back of his head.

 

“Sorry for interrupting” Kakashi apologized.

 

“Not your fault.  Sometimes she’s right, but most of the time she won’t listen.  Besides she’s been spending all that time with Asuma again.  Fuck knows I have to worry about that now” Genma shook his head in frustration.

 

“Genma?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Kakashi stared him down for a moment, that usual casual uninterested look on his face.

 

 

“Fuck you.”

* * *

 

 When Kakashi walked into Takako he was greeted by the sound of screaming, and a bottle shattering against the wall by his head as he took his first step into the bar.

 

“Sorry” Fujikaze huffed “Thought you were Genma.  Figured he’d be the only one stupid enough to follow me when I’m this pissed.”

 

“Well… guess there’s two people who are stupid enough to do that now huh?” Kakashi asked.

 

Fujikaze snorted.

 

“Guess so.”

 

Kakashi walked over to the bar, and sat down surveying the area. There was a lot of broken glass everywhere it seemed, not to mention a bunch of the decorations that had been on the wall were now off.

 

“You’ve been busy” Kakashi said.

 

Fujikaze glared at him.

 

“Wrong time for a joke?” He asked.

 

“Way wrong time” She replied.

 

“Why were you even talking to Genma?”

 

“It’s not like I wanted to!” She snapped her eyes wide with anger “I was eating lunch, and he just fucking showed up out of nowhere!”

 

“Well, are you going to talk to him again?” Kakashi asked.  Fujikaze sighed shoulders slumping in defeat.

 

“I don’t know.  I never actually let him tell his side of things, but I don’t need to hear it to know I get treated like shit.”

 

Kakashi nodded at the young woman.

 

“What do you want to do?” He asked.  She stopped for a second, and then turned to look at the rows of bottles behind her.

 

“Well for starters, I need a fucking drink” She replied “What about you?”

 

“I could go for one” Kakashi replied.

 

“Good” Fujikaze nodded reaching down behind the bar to grab two glasses.

* * *

 

Walking home had been difficult for Fujikaze at first, she had continued to drink well after Kakashi had gone home.  He would’ve stayed he’d said, but there were reports to write, and missions to take the brats on.  But half way through her walk came a familiar face to her rescue.

 

“You never cease to amaze me kiddo” Asuma laughed steadying her with an arm around her waist.

 

“Whattaya mean?” She asked a little groggy.  She just wanted to go home, and go to sleep.

 

“That liver of yours sure knows how to take a hit” Asuma laughed at his own joke.  Fujikaze rolled her eyes.

 

“Whatcha doin’ out here this late?” She asked.

 

“Heard from someone I should keep an eye out for you tonight” He shrugged.

 

“Who?” Fujikaze demanded.

 

“Hyuna.  Said you came storming into Takako, and nearly destroyed the whole place.  What had you so angry?”

 

“Fuckin’ Genma” She replied.

 

“That little fucking idiot is still trying to talk to you?” Asuma shook his head “He does it one more time, and I’ll take care of it.”

 

“You don’t gotta” Fujikaze shook her head.

 

“Sure I do” Asuma replied “You know I’ve got your back.”

 

“I appreciate it” She sighed.  They began to ascend the steps to Fujikaze’s apartment building, and made it to her door in silence.

 

“Thanks for helping me home” She smiled as she reached for the door knob.

 

“Anytime kiddo” Asuma smiled.

 

They stared at each other for a second before Fujikaze sighed, and opened the door.  She flicked on the first light, and turned back to Asuma.  She grabbed his shirt right above his waist band, and tugged.

 

“You’re coming in.”

 

“All I needed was the invitation” Asuma replied cockily.

* * *

 

 

It was a familiar affair, one that had been acted out many times.

 

Asuma kissed her breath away, and she removed her red jacket. Her bodysuit followed quickly as Asuma unzipped it in the back.  He took the moment of their break to remove his flak jacket, and shirt.

 

“Skip the foreplay, and just fuck me” Fujikaze said, voice hoarse with lust “I can’t remember the last time I got fucked.”

 

“Yes ma’am” Asuma grinned lifting her up.

 

Fujikaze wrapped her legs around Asumas waist as he carried her over to her kitchen table kissing her the whole way as she dug her nails into his back.  He sat her down, and her hands immediately dropped to start lowering his pants enough to get his cock out.

 

“Easy kiddo, easy” Asuma laughed assisting her in getting his pants down.  His cock was already hard, and weeping at the tip.  He was just as ready as she was; it had been weeks for Asuma too.  He’d been spending time with Kurenai lately, but there was no telling where that was going.  This was familiar, this was easy.  This was always there at the end of a bad day, be it for a listening ear, a free drink to ease the sorrows, or a quick fuck to relieve the stress.

 

Fujikaze was always there for everyone who needed her, in whatever way they needed her.

 

“Fuck Ren” Asuma hissed as she reached out to grab his cock giving it a few pumps.

 

“I don’t feel like being patient or playing any games tonight, Asuma.”

 

“I heard ya the first time” He grunted stilling her wrist.  She grinned at her small victory of making the jonin flustered.  It was one of her favorite things.  He lined himself up, and without warning sunk into her with his first thrust.  She nearly yelped it was so unexpected but instead moaned at the feeling of relief, and pleasure all at once.

 

“Now will you quit your complaining?” Asuma smirked as his lips finally met her neck, leaving kisses, and marks.

 

The pace he set was by no means slow.  The sound of skin slapping as their bodies met over, and over filled Fujikaze’s little apartment. 

 

Harsh pants, teeth clicking, lips meeting sloppily, hips stuttering as orgasm drew closer.

 

Fujikaze had missed this.

 

The sex with Genma had been alright, but that’s all it was.  Alright.  For Genma the only thing that had ever mattered was him coming, and nothing else.  If Fujikaze got off good for her, if she didn’t he didn’t even bat an eye.

 

But Asuma? His pleasure came from her’s.

 

He was close, and he knew she wasn’t far behind.  His hands moved from her hips to one finger now achingly close to her clit, while the other hand wrapped around her throat, and squeezed just the right amount of pressure.

 

“Fuck” She wheezed.

 

Asuma grinned, please with himself.

 

“Bet Genma never did any of this to you” Asuma grunted hips slowing as he tried to stave off his orgasm.

 

“Never” Fujikaze replied.

 

“How’s it feel?”

 

“So good, so much better!” She said, her voice high pitched at the end as a particular thrust made her feel like she was about to go over the edge.  Asuma also got off on being told how good of a job he was doing.  To know he was fucking her right, that’d he most likely be the only one that ever fucked her right.

 

“How close are you?” He asked picking his pace back up as his finger was going full force on her clit now.

 

Fujikaze closed her eyes losing herself in the feeling.

 

“So close!” She yelled.

 

Asuma squeezed her throat tighter, and Fujikaze opened her eyes wide.  She thought she was seeing stars.

 

Asuma followed her quickly taking a few more thrusts before he finally grunted at his own release his hips snapped against Fujikaze’s one final time.

 

The stayed that way for a little bit on her kitchen table catching their breath.  Asuma pressed a chaste kiss to Fujikazes lips, and began to pull away.

 

“I’ll get you a towel” He said.  She put her feet down on the floor, and few moments later Asuma returned with a damp cloth for Fujikaze to clean herself with.

 

“So…” Asuma nodded looking towards the entrance to the kitchen where his shirt, and flak jacket lie.

 

“You wanna just stay the night?” Fujikaze asked, seeming, and feeling far more sober than when she had entered her apartment.

 

“I can go home if you want” He replied.

 

“You don’t have to leave if you don’t want to” was Fujikazes answer.  They looked at each other for a few moments before Asuma smiled gently.

 

“Let’s get you in bed Kiddo.   I heard you had a hell of a time in the Land of Waves, and haven’t exactly had time to rest since you got back.”

 

“Sleep sounds great” Fujikaze smiled back following the jonin to her bedroom.

* * *

 

 

Kakashi was shocked to say the least.  He had been just about to knock on the door to Fujikaze’s apartment when the door had been opened from the otherside.  Asuma was standing there fully dressed, but behind him was Fujikaze in a black silk robe looking rather disheveled.

 

“Well hey Kakashi, what’re you doing here?” The olive skinned man smiled easily enough.

 

“Just came to speak with Fujikaze about her plans for the day” Kakashi replied “My genin have been asking about her ever since our mission in the Land of Waves.”

 

“Well sounds like you two will have your hands full” Asuma chuckled “I’ll see you later Kiddo, don’t work too hard.”

 

And Asuma was off leaving Kakashi, and Fujikaze to stare at each other.

 

“Kakashi I’m…” She sighed trailing off.

 

“What?” The silver haired man asked, doing his best to seem as unperturbed by this morning’s events as possible.

 

“I’m sorry” She finally said looking him in the eye.

 

“What’s there to be sorry about?” He asked.

 

She looked down at the ground again, shaking her head.  Finally she looked up, and the amount of emotion in her gaze left his heart fluttering.

 

 

“Everything.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Something seems… off about Ren sensei today” Naruto narrowed his eyes at the long haired woman, her dark red hair glittering in the sunlight, looking Garnet in color almost.  She was talking with Kakashi, but something about her whole demeanor, and Kakashi’s as well just seemed off.

 

“What do you mean?” Sakura asked looking to both adults.

 

“She just seems… sad.”

 

“She’s always sad” Sasuke responded with a sigh.

 

“Why though?” Naruto asked.  “She’s an amazing ninja, someone with her skill shouldn’t be sad all the time.  If I was as skilled as Ren Sensei I’d be the happiest ninja ever!”

 

“You idiot!” Sakura snapped punching Naruto in the back of the head.

 

“Ow! What’d you do that for?” Naruto yelled.

 

“Just because you’re great at something doesn’t mean you can’t be sad.  She can be sad for whatever reason she wants, for as long as she needs to be.  Never try to dictate someone’s emotions!” Sakura huffed folding her arms across her chest.

 

“You guys seem lively today” Fujikaze smiled as she, and Kakashi walked over to the kids.

 

“Is lively what we call getting chewed out now?” Kakashi said, the smiled evident in his one visible eye.

 

“Lively, verbally abused, same difference to some” Fujikaze chuckled.

 

“So are we finally heading out on this mission?” Sasuke asked, jumping straight to the point.

 

“Well someone’s eager to get going” Fujikaze smiled at her cousin.

 

“We’ve been sitting here for over an hour waiting on you two to decide what we’re doing today” Sasuke reminded.

 

“Well we have a series of small jobs around the village, it’s just so hard to decide where to start, in fact one of these odd jobs is gonna be at Takako.” Fujikaze said.

 

“Of course it is” Sasuke rolled his eyes “Grandma said if you’re going to make me do dishes, you have to pay me.”

 

“You’re getting paid in a rewarding experience, and work ethic.”

 

“And free food” Sasuke bargained. 

 

Fujikaze sighed in defeat.

 

“And free food.”

 

“Hey, what about us, what are we getting paid in?” Naruto asked excitedly.

 

Kakashi, and Fujikaze looked at each other for a second, then back to the other two genin.

 

“Expierence, and work ethic” The two jonin replied in unison.

 

 

* * *

 

“This place looks like a train wreck” Naruto proclaimed as the group walked into Takako.

 

“You can blame that on her” Hyuna snapped at Fujikaze, she had her hair up in her serious bun. 

 

Now Fujikaze was scared.

 

“We were closed all day yesterday because of your little outburst, and I’m still closed today because of it!” Hyuna snapped grabbing the closest bottle off the shelf, and chucking it at Fujikaze.  She dodged just in time, and the bottle shattered against the wall.

 

“Hey!” Fujikaze snapped.

 

“Hey yourself, I threw one bottle, and you broke a whole bar!”

 

Fujikaze opened, and closed her mouth several times trying to have any kind of a comeback.  She finally sighed, and settled on “Fair enough.”

 

“You brought them here to clean?” Hyuna asked nodding at the kids.

 

“Of course, I wasn’t gonna leave all the work to you, you know I take care of you better than that” Fujikaze smiled.

 

“One of the only things you do around here I suppose” Hyuna sighed, and grabbed her broom and dust pan, and walked over to the kids.

 

“I know Sasuke, but who are you two?”

 

“I’m Sakura!”

 

“Naruto Uzumaki!”

 

“Great, Naruto you start sweeping” She shoved the broom, and dust pan into his hands.  “Sakura you can start wiping everything down, and restocking the shelves, and glasses, Sasuke come help me prep the kitchen.” Hyuna ordered. 

 

Naruto grumbled, and walked over to the farthest corner to start cleaning the mess, Sakura happily followed Hyuna, and Sasuke to the back to find the cleaning supplies.

 

“Shes angry” Kakashi noted.

 

“Yeah, well Takako is as much hers as it is mine.  You know how often she’s left to run this whole place while I’m off doing other work?”

 

“Quite often from the way she runs this place.”

 

Fujikaze nodded “But hey, while she’s got the kids working we can sit back, and relax!”

 

“Don’t even!” Hyuna snapped coming out from back, she got right up to Fujikazes face and pointed a finger right at her “Do you have any idea just how much paper work you have in back?! All the bills that need to be paid around here, and not to mention the restock order!”

 

Fujikaze sighed, and headed in back to her office.

 

Kakashi followed with a small chuckle.

 

 

* * *

 

“I fucking hate this shit” Fujikaze sighed staring at the computer screen.

 

“Then maybe you should’ve never went into business” Kakashi said.

 

“I mean fair, but I do enjoy it” Fujikaze said typing away.  “The bartending, and being in business part.  Not this part.”

 

“All fun, and no work makes for a bad business owner” Kakashi chided sitting down in the chair across from her desk, Icha Icha in his hand.

 

“Yeah yeah, you’re the last one I wanna hear it from” She sighed.

 

“I’m the last one you want anything from apparently” Kakashi responded.

 

He wanted to hit himself for his quick retort, but he’d said it, and it was out there.

 

Fujikaze looked at him around her computer screen.

 

“Seriously?” She frowned at him.

 

“Am I wrong?” He asked.  He was in deep now, all because he didn’t know how to watch his mouth with her.

 

“You’ve gotta be kidding if you think that’s how I feel about you.”

 

“Then how do you feel about me?” Kakashi asked.  Calm as can be.

 

“You… You’ve been there for me at a very weird time in my life, and you’ve given me a lot of comfort, and reassurance” Fujikaze said.

 

The two jonin looked at each other for a moment longer before Fujikaze went back to her computer work.

 

“You’re important to me” Fujikaze said after a moment longer.

 

Kakashi felt like his heart skipped a beat.  He didn’t know what to do with this despite him constantly reading trashy romance novels.  This was unknown territory.

 

“You’re important to me too” Kakashi replied after a long moment of silence.  They didn’t seem like the right words for him to say in that moment, but he knew that he meant them. She was important to him.

 

“Now I’m just waiting on you to work up the balls to kiss me” Fujikaze said, her tone a little cocky as she smirked at her computer.  There was no response for quite a while.

 

“What cat got your –” She stopped mid-sentence looking around her computer to see that the silver haired man was gone “Tongue.  Of course he dipped” Fujikaze shook her head, and continued her work in silence.

 

 

* * *

 

After making sure things were squared away at Takako, and making sure the kids were fed before they were sent off, Fujikaze herself headed home.  Only to find a certain silver haired asshole standing in front of her door reading that dumb book she wanted to smack out of his hands.

 

“Yo” He called seeing her.

 

“Yo yourself” She huffed in response unlocking her door.

 

“Are you mad at me?” Kakashi asked.

 

“I don’t know maybe it has something to do with the fact that we were having a serious conversation, and you kinda disappeared on me” Fujikaze said she walked into her apartment, Kakashi following behind her.  She closed the door behind him, and headed to her kitchen to start making her own meal.

 

“Well you said you were waiting on me to work up the balls to kiss you” Kakashi said watching as Fujikaze bent over to her cabanent to pull out a frying pan.  She turned to look at him confused frying pan in hand.

 

“What the hell is that supposed to me –” 

 

Before she could even react there was a pair of soft lips pressed to hers.  Slowly she relaxed into the kiss dropping the frying pan to the floor in favor of gripping Kakashis shoulders, his hands on her hips tightened pulling her closer.

 

She finally pulled away the need for air so desperate.

 

“Shit, what else did you work up the balls to do?” She grinned.

 

“I’m not sure” Kakashi smirked mask down revealing all that handsome face she rarely got to see “Lets find out.”


	8. Chapter 8

Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, and Choza Akimichi had literally been sitting in the same seats of Takako since the bar had opened at 11am that day.  Fujikaze had been running the day shift, and soon of her newly hired bartenders would be coming in to close.  Today was the festival before the Chunin exams continued at the arena.

 

“Hey guys, don’t you think you should maybe take a break from all this drinking?” Fujikaze asked light heartedly.

 

All three men laughed.

 

“You clearly don’t know us” Inoichi laughed.

 

“We’ve been Konoha’s number one drinking team for decades now” Choza added.

 

“Well now that I take offense to” Fujikaze spoke as she refilled all of their glasses “You clearly have never seen me, and Asuma drink together.”

 

“What do a couple of kids know about drinking?” Shikaku waved her off.

 

“I know he, and I have been so black out drunk that we woke up in a jail cell the next day no memory of why or how we got there.”

 

“That’s pretty decent” Inoichi nodded “But you still can’t hang with the big guys.”

 

Fujikaze rolled her eyes with a smile “Whatever guys say.”

 

She turned her back to them while she worked on some dishes.

 

“Yo” She heard, and turned around quickly with a smile on her face.

 

“Well, well, well.  Look who it is.”

 

She could see the smile behind Kakashis mask, but he wasn’t smiling anymore when she came around the corner just to punch him back through the entrance of Takako.

 

All three Jonin sitting at the bar stopped mid drink to stare at their bartender with plain shock.

 

“What the hell?!” Kakashi shouted from outside in astonishment.

 

“What the hell is what I should be asking since you disappeared with Sasuke three weeks ago!” She shouted.  Kakashi managed to get up, and walk back into Takako staggering the whole way.

 

“You take my cousin, and disappear for three fucking weeks, only to show back up today?!”

 

“Well… today is the festival, and you’re off of work soon, so I figured I’d take you somewhere nice for dinner” Kakashi sighed rubbing his cheek.

 

If it were possible the jaws of all three members of the elder Ino-Shika-Cho trio would be on the floor.

 

Fujikaze sighed, and folded her arms across her chest.  Kakashi would be lying if he didn’t admit that her form fitting mock neck top gave just the right amount of ideas to him.

 

“Hey!” She snapped, he looked into her eyes “My eyes are up here if you don’t mind.”

 

“Maaa, but there’s just so many other nice things about you to look at.”

 

“Oh you are laying it on thick today huh?”

 

“What can I say? I missed you these last three weeks.”

 

Fujikaze rolled her eyes again. “You are such a kiss ass” She smiled at him fondly.

 

“Well I’d like to kiss parts of you other than your ass, but I suppose I have to start somewhere.”

 

Fujikaze snorted “I’m done in forty minutes. You want to hang around for a drink, or you want me to meet you somewhere for dinner?”

 

“I think I’ll stay” Kakashi said easily, eyes trained on Fujikaze as she walked back around the bar “That way I can enjoy the view.”

 

When Fujikaze looked over to her other guests they were all slack jawed, and wide eyed.

 

“You guys ok?”

 

* * *

 

They walked down the lantern lit streets side by side, Kakashis hands in his pockets, and Fujikaze with her arms folded across her chest.  To anyone walking by it must’ve looked like they were pissed off at each other.  But that was far from the case.

 

At least for Kakashi.

 

“I’m still mad at you for disappearing for three weeks without saying anything to me.”

 

“It was kind of spur of the moment after the exams started.  Once Sasuke got out of the hospital he wanted to train, and since I have a sharingan…”

 

“I know, you’re the perfect teacher for him.”

 

“Speaking of sharingan, how are your eyes doing?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Just…” He thought back to the land of waves, how for just a moment Fujikazes dark eyes turned sharingan red. “Just wondering.  After all, those glasses you’re wearing seem kind of thick.”

 

Fujikaze groaned and gripped her glasses “They’re not that bad, I can still see without them on.”

 

“Well good then” Kakashi nodded as they started walking up the steps to Fujikazes apartment.  They got to the door, and Fujikaze put the key in the lock.

 

“So…” Kakashi smirked behind his mask.

 

“So?” Fujikaze quirked an eyebrow at the silver haired man, a smirk on her own face.

 

“Am I coming in?”

 

“Are you going to be here when I wake up?”

 

“You know I’m too lazy to get up early enough to leave you alone in the morning.”

 

“Then you’re coming in” She laughed, and opened the door.  Before Fujikaze could even process it, her own reflexes incapable of keeping up, Kakashi had the door closed, and her pressed up against it as he pulled his mask down.

 

“Well then” Fujikaze stared at him in surprise “You’re really getting to the point today huh?”

 

“I mean, it has been three weeks” Kakashi shrugged off his flak jacket, “And I have missed you.”

 

“Aren’t you just the sweetest” Fujikaze smirked leaning forward enough to just barely graze her lips against Kakashis.  He practically growled in lust, capturing her lips in a kiss.

 

“This is gonna be good” Fujikaze grinned wide as Kakashi pulled away.

 

“It better be more than good” He grunted kissing her again.

 

* * *

 

“How did I know I’d find you here” Sasuke sighed standing in his cousins living room as both Jonin sat at her kitchen table.

 

“Uh, Sasuke, it’s not what it looks like” Kakashi began laughing nervously.

 

“Save it, I’m pretty sure the only idiot in the village who doesn’t see something going on between you two is Naruto.”

 

Fujikaze nodded “That’s fair.  I suppose me punching you through my bar, and you just flirting it off didn’t help any.”

 

“My match is in five hours” Sasuke stated.

 

“What do you want to do?” Kakashi asked.

 

“I need to work on the Chidori more” He said “We need to go now.”

 

Kakashi sighed, and looked at Fujikaze “I’ll see you at the stadium then” He said. 

 

She smiled softly at him “I’ll see you at the stadium.”

 

In a flash both shinobi were gone, and Fujikaze was left to get ready for the day.

 

* * *

 

“Grandma, c’mon, we’re already late!” Fujikaze called, arms folded across her chest in impatience.  She was off duty during the exams, so she was wearing civilian clothes today, a pair of jeans, her usual sandals, and another black sleeveless mock neck top.  Her deep red hair was pulled back into a long thick ponytail.

 

“Relax, all we’re missing are the Uzumaki boy, and the Nara boy!” Her grandmother called from upstairs.

 

“Yeah, and I actually wanted to see Naruto’s match! He’s part of Sasukes team!”

 

“I’m coming down now you little brat! Just hold your horses!”

 

Finally coming down the stairs of her grand home was Shizuka Uchiha.  She was a regal slender woman wearing a tradition Uchiha kimono for todays festivities.  Her graying hair looked gorgeous pulled back into a bun that showed off her strong jaw, and even stronger looking eyes.

 

“Finally” Fujikaze muttered to herself.

 

“What was that?” Shizuka snapped.

 

“Nothing, Grandma, nothing!”

 

“Let’s be on our way” Shizuka said, giving her granddaughter one final glare. Fujikaze nodded, and before she could leave her grandmother gripped her elbow tightly forcing Fujikaze to look at her again “What is that?”

 

“What?” Fujikaze asked.  Shizukas snapped into sharingan as she stared her granddaughter down.

 

“That disgusting little mark on your neck! How many times have I told you not to let men mark you! You are an Uchiha, you’re better than them!”

 

“I’m a Fujikaze before I am a Uchiha first of all, secondly what I do in my private life is my business!” Fujikaze snapped ripping her arm out of her grandmothers grasp.

 

Shizuka sighed in annoyance “At least tell me it was the Sarotobi boy.”

 

“Grandma!” Fujikaze whined in annoyance.

 

“That is the only man that has ever put up with you that is from a good clan! He’s the Thirds son! You could do way worse than a Sarutobi! You could end up with a no clan boy just like your mother!”

 

“I’d rather be with someone who takes care of me instead of someone who constantly enables my bad habits, and just feeds into it.”

 

“Well, at least you sort of have your head on straight” Shizuka shook her head.

 

“Why grandma, I think that was almost a complement” Fujikaze smirked at the elder woman “I might cry.”

 

* * *

 

The day had gone from fun, and amazing to complete shit show in a matter of minutes.  The stadium was in chaos, people were screaming, and the city was exploding.  First came the panic of everyone around them as the stadium began to collapse in certain places.

 

“Grandma, we have to go!” Fujikaze said trying to help her out of her seat.

 

“I’m coming, just move on ahead, I’m right behind you” She snapped, sharingan activated.

 

“I’m not moving ahead, you need to go first, I’m faster than you!” Fujikaze snapped as the stadium around them shook again.

 

“For the last time I said move!” Shizuka screamed pushing Fujiaze hard.  Fujikaze felt the chakra blast as she went sailing into the next row of seating, eyes wide watching almost in slow motion as debris fell from the seating above crushing Shizuka. Blood sprayed all around covering Fujikaze’s hands, and torso.  She sat stunned at what she had just witnessed, hands trembling as she looked at them.  The startling clarity, the motion sickness she got from seeing everything move almost in super speed.

 

Four things happened that day.

 

First Konoha was being destroyed.

 

Second, Fujikazes grandmother had just died in the most horrific way she could’ve seen.

 

Third, her sharingan had finally activated.

 

And fourth, the day her sharingan activated was also the day her mangekyo had activated.


	9. Chapter 9

Blood.  Blood.  So much blood, the iron smell hung thick in the air as Fujikaze released the contents of her stomach.  Her grandmother was dead, and her city was on fire, and she couldn’t see straight because everything was too clear it made her sick.

 

“Ren!” A familiar voice shouted as hands went to her shoulders, shaking her slightly “Are you ok?”

 

She looked over to the man tears running down her face as she wiped her mouth clean “Genma?”

 

“Your eyes…”

 

“Grandma’s dead.”

 

“Shit!” Genma hissed.

 

“What’s wrong with my eyes?” Fujikaze asked shakily.  She knew something was wrong with her eyes, she did want to admit to what, because she knew.  She knew.

 

“Your Sharingan…”

 

“Finally activated.” Fujikaze nodded.  What she never wanted to be true came to pass.  Twenty-Two and her Sharingan activated.  All because her grandmother had died saving her from that debris.  And now she could see.  She could finally help.

 

She managed to stand with Genmas help, stumbling only a little as she got her bearings.

 

“Will you be ok if I go back to the fight?” Genma asked.  Fujikaze nodded.

 

“Thank you” She said looking at the taller man.  He gave his usual cocky smirk.

 

“Any time, Sweetheart.”

 

 

* * *

 

The Sound Ninja were laughable in their ability but large in their number Fujikaze came to realize quickly as she ran through the stadium to what seemed to be the largest section of fighting.  She could help there.

 

What she saw made her heart skip a beat in relief.  Kakashi, and Gai were fighting back to back.

 

“Look Kakashi, another comrade come to join us in this display of youthful fighting spirit!” Gai announced upon seeing her. 

 

“Ren!” Kakashi called.

 

She felt the chakra presence behind here, and swiftly turned making the hand signs as fast as she could.

 

“Multi Fireball Jutsu!” She inhaled deeply, and released several fireballs towards the several sound ninja that had snuck up behind her.  Once they were dispatched she turned back to her fellow jonin, and ran to Kakashi.

 

“Thank God you’re ok” She said, the relief in her voice palpable.

 

“Your eyes” Kakashi said, both of his in view, and wide.

 

“I watched… I watched grandma die… to push me out of the way” Fujikaze shook her head looking down.

 

“There will be time to mourn after we get through this” Kakashi said grabbing her shoulders, and looking her in the eyes.  “But first we need to get through this.”

 

Fujikaze nodded.  Kakashi, and Fujikaze both looked to the entrance to the left.

 

“What is it?” Gai asked,

 

“More coming” Kakashi said.

 

“A lot more” Fujikaze said.

 

“Then we’ll be ready for them” Gai said getting into his fighting stance.

 

Both Sharingan ninjas nodded readying themselves.              

 

“Ren” Kakashi said.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Protect Sakura for a moment until we clear this up.  We need to send her, and the boys after Sasuke.”

 

“Sasuke?” She asked, the worry in her voice clear.

 

“He went after Gaara.  We can’t leave this place right now, the best people to go after him are Sakura, Naruto, and Shikamaru.”

 

Fujikaze nodded in agreement although she wanted to be the one to go after her cousin.  All they had was each other now, and she would be damned if she let anything happen to that boy on her watch.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I don’t like the look of the one with the mask” Fujikaze said a kunai in each hand as she jumped back from an enemy.

 

“He’s the leader” Kakashi added.

 

“Here comes another wave” Gai said standing with the two.

 

Each shinobi separated into their own fights.

 

Fujikaze stood facing down five sound ninja just as her vision began to spin again.  She didn’t know how to work this damned Sharingan yet, but she wasn’t going to let it stop her.

 

Two sound ninja rushed her, and she barely dodged, her reflexes not fast enough to move when she thought would be right. A third ninja came up beside her, and she quickly dispatched it channeling chakra into her fist punching the sound ninja straight through a column.  This time she managed to move at just the perfect time her foot connecting with the chest of another sound ninja as he tried to rush her, this one went sailing over Gais, and Kakashis heads as he went over the railing.

 

“Excellent attack Ren!” Gai called out enthusiastically.

 

Three left, and she stared them down.  They seemed to still completely, in fact time seemed to stop altogether for just a moment.  Something came to out of nowhere it felt, she made the dragon hand sign, and called out the name of something she didn’t even know she knew.

 

“Jikan!”

 

Time stopped all together in the section of arena they were in.

 

Sound ninja hung suspended in the air, kunai stopped dead in their paths.  Everything around her had stopped.

 

That was her mangekyos ability.  To stop time.  She thought that maybe that ability had manifested from her desire for just a few more seconds to have been able to save her grandmother.  If she’d have had this ability, Shizuka Uchiha would still be alive.

 

She stopped that train of thought, and made the hand signs for the multi Fire Ball Jutsu taking out the other three Sound ninja that were trapped in time.

 

As quickly as time had stopped it started back up again, and Fujikaze fell to the ground her chakra feeling sickeningly low after that new found ability.  Not to mention just how much her eyes were hurting.

 

“Ren!” Kakashi yelled darting over to her.  He grabbed her shoulders, and leaned her back only to stare in horror as blood ran down her face from both her eyes like she was crying.  “What the hell happened?”

 

“I’m not sure” She replied “But my eyes hurt so much right now” She closed them, and the blood poured faster down her face.

 

“Ren, you can’t keep fighting like this” Kakashi said.

 

“Just give me a second.  I can keep going” She opened her eyes again, and this time they were normal.  She’d finally figured out how to deactivate her Sharingan, and she felt almost instantly better.

 

“Here” Kakashi reached into his tool pouch, and gave her a piece of scrap cloth “Wipe your face, and get back in the fight” He said.

 

There was no point in arguing with her.  If she wanted to continue she was going to continue whether he liked it or not.

 

The numbers continued to thin until all that were left were the Konoha Jonin gathered at the edge of the stadium seating watching as the Falcon flew overheard.

 

“About fucking time” Fujikaze huffed looking the most worn of all her comrades.  She hadn’t been on active duty today, and here she was in civilian clothes, dried blood all down her face, completely bruised, bloody, and ready to scar.

 

“I’ll say” Kurenai agreed in annoyance, looking almost as worn down as Fujikaze herself.

 

Fujikaze jumped the railing, and headed over to Genma his own fighting having stopped due to the masked figure, Kakashi, and Gai quickly joined her while the rest of the Jonin in the arena headed for the streets of Konoha to continue pushing back the enemy.

 

“Genma!” Fujikaze called out “Are you alright?”

 

“I’m fine Sweetheart” He grunted holding his bleeding shoulder “It’s nothing to worry about.”

 

“Bullshit you’re bleeding” Fujikaze snapped.

 

“What about you? Your face is covered in blood, are you alright?” Genma asked using his free hand to grab her chin gently between his index finger, and thumb.

 

“I’ll be fine, it’s just me getting used to my new eyes.”

 

Kakashi would be lying if he didn’t say he was confused of what was going on between those two at this moment.  And maybe just a little jealous.  Maybe a lot jealous.

 

“They’re making a move” Gai said.  All three of the other shinobi looked to where the Hokage had been fighting.

 

“Kakashi, do we go after them?” Gai asked.

 

“No, not yet.” Kakashi shook his head, watching as Fujikaze backed up from Genma, and readied herself for another fight looking at the two ninja across from them.

 

“That’s right” The masked shinobi said “If you move without knowing what happened up there, you would just be falling into an enemy trap.”

 

“I know that!” Gai protested “But even if it is a trap, we can’t just let the enemy flee.  That’s not how Konoha ninja are trained!”

 

“So… are you just going to stand there, and watch? Kabuto?”

 

Fujikaze watched in astonishment as the Yakushi boy took his mask off.  He’d been in her graduating class, but she had far surpassed him, and many others in their age group due to her sheer talents as a fighter taught by none other than Tsunade herself.

 

“So you knew all along huh?” Kabuto smirked at Kakashi.

 

“What do we do?” The Sand Ninja beside him asked.

 

“We retreat” Kabuto said simply.

 

“You’re going to run away from me again?” Kakashi snapped taking a step forward.

 

“For now yes, you’ll just end up copying my moves otherwise… although you can’t seem to use that eye as perfectly as your little girlfriend there, and the rest of the Uchiha clan.”

 

Kakashi narrowed his eyes in anger, and Genma turned a hard look to the back of Kakashis head.

 

“Goodbye” Kabuto smirked as he, and the Sand ninja shunshined away.

 

“Girlfriend?” Genma growled staring at Kakashi.  The copy ninja turned, and with his clenched fist punched Genma right in the face.

 

Fujikaze stared in shock at the two men.

 

“Not right now!” Kakashi snarled at the other Jonin.

 

* * *

 

 

“Kakashi” Fujikaze called from her bedroom.

 

“Yeah?” He called back from his seat at her kitchen table where he was reading his Icha Icha in relative peace.

 

“Did I leave my earrings out there? I can’t find them!”

 

“There on the living room table!” Sasuke called from his seat in the living room. 

 

He’d been living with their grandmother, and now that she was… gone, he was Fujikazes responsibility to take care of.

 

However Sasuke didn’t realize just how awkward it would be to live with his cousin, who was seeing his sensei.  His sensei who never seemed to leave Fujikazes apartment. 

 

She came out of her bedroom wearing a form fitting black dress that stopped above her knees, and black sandals.  The earrings she picked up from the table were the Uchiha clan symbols, and had belonged to their grandmother.

 

Today was the Hokages funeral, among the many others of those who lost their lives during the attack. 

 

“I’ll meet you two there, I have to stop somewhere else first” Kakashi said standing up, he walked over to Fujikaze, and lowered his mask enough to give her a small peck on the lips.

 

“See you soon” She said as he shunshinned away.

 

“Does he have to be here all the time?” Sasuke asked.

 

“Kakashi? Would you rather deal with me, and him getting along, or would you rather I still be with Genma, and fighting all the time?”

 

“It’s just… awkward.”

 

“You’ll get over it” She waved him off.

 

“Or you’ll move on from Kakashi sensei soon.  That’s more likely to happen.”

 

Fujikaze got in Sasukes space then, feeling an anger she hadn’t felt in a while.

 

“You’re a little brat you know that?” She snapped grabbing his ear hard “You don’t know as much as you think, and you’d be smart to learn how to keep your little mouth shut do you understand!”

 

“Ow, ow! I get it, let go!” Sasuke yelled.  She released his ear, and sighed.

 

“Today isn’t the day for this Sasuke.  Let’s go alright?”

 

“Yeah” He sighed standing up.

 

“We’ll be having dinner at Takako tonight alright? Bring your team, most of everyone will be gathering in places like the bars tonight to deal with today.”

 

* * *

 

 

Takako was jam packed full of shinobi grieving, and laughing all at once.  Drinks were flowing, and food was leaving the kitchen as fast as the cooks could keep up.  At one table in the back sat all of the genin from the exam sharing food, and laughing while their teachers, and parents, mingled, and reminisced.

 

“Tonight seems to be going well.”

 

She turned to see Kakashi, and smiled softly.

 

“Yeah.  As well as things can go given the circumstances.”

 

“Everything will be fine.  You know I’m here if you need me” Kakashi said.

 

“The same for you” She replied “You know I’m here if you need me.”

 

“I know” Kakashi smiled softly in return.


	10. Chapter 10

The days following the funeral were calm, and filled with reconstruction efforts.  For Fujikaze, and Sasuke it was filled with moving her things into her grandmother’s home.  She had inherited the home, and half of her grandmother’s fortune, the other half going to Sasuke.

 

There were boxes piled up outside the front of the manor, and Fujikaze stared at all of them hands on her hips.

 

“This is gonna be a long afternoon” She sighed preparing to make shadow clones to help her.

 

“Let us help you with that.”

 

“Kakashi? Aren’t you supposed to be with the kids today?”

 

“I pawned them off on Gai and his team for the day.  A little friendly competition.”

 

“Well who else did you bring to help?”

 

“Just a moment” Kakashi smiled at her.  He took out his kunai, and made a small cut on his finger then made the hand signs “Summoning Jutsu!”

 

In a cloud of smoke appeared eight ninja dogs.

 

“About time you introduced us to the boss lady” the little pug laying on top of the bull dogs head spoke with a deep voice.

 

“That voice does not match that little body” Fujikaze muttered shaking her head. 

 

Kakashi just chuckled at her side.

 

“Listen here boss lady I’m Pakkun, and I’m leader of the pack.”

 

“Yes sir!” Fujikaze saluted the little pug.

 

“Start grabbing boxes boys, we’ve got to help the boss lady” Pakkun grunted.  Two of the smaller dogs, who Fujikaze would later learn were Bisuke and Uhei, started prancing around her chanting “Boss lady, boss lady!”

 

Fujikaze watched in astonishment as the dogs started taking boxes, and carrying them into the manor.

 

“How does it feel to be a home owner?” Kakashi asked.  He couldn’t help the small chuckle as Pakkun stood at the entrance of the manor giving orders to the pack.

 

“I mean… it’ll be nice to be out of that small apartment, but… I never wanted to move back into this home like this.  I was hoping Sasuke would be old enough to inherit it first.  He’s the full blooded Uchiha after all.”

 

“And you have a Sharingan.  You’re Uchiha enough.”

 

“I suppose” Fujikaze shrugged.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“I’m just… nervous about being the one in charge of taking care of Sasuke.  I know he’s independent, and he doesn’t need me to hover over him, but he’s still a child, and my responsibility.  I just don’t know what to do about it.”

 

“It’s a tough situation, but I’m here to help if you need me to” Kakashi reassured.  Fujikaze smiled at him, the relief on her face clear.

 

“Thank you, you don’t know how much I appreciate you” She sighed wrapping both her arms around his waist and putting her face in his chest.  Kakashi hesitated for just a second before wrapped an arm around her shoulders.  They weren’t much for physical displays of affection like this but Kakashi had to admit.

 

It was nice.

 

They stayed like that for a few moments longer than most people would.

 

Neither would ever realize just how starved for physical affection they were.

 

 

* * *

 

If it had been anyone else Fujikaze is pretty sure she would have attacked her home intruder no questions asked.  But the scent of paperback books, and wet dog was familiar, and almost comforting as Kakashi silently, and easily slipped into Fujikazes new old bedroom through the window.

 

He sat down next to her on the bed, and she rolled over to face him.

 

“You know if you had been anyone else, you’d be bleeding on the floor no questions asked?”

 

Kakashi chuckled.

 

“Yeah.  I know.”

 

“What’s up?” Fujikaze yawned sittng up in her bed “What’re you doing here so late?”

 

Kakashi sat there staring at the wall in silence.

 

“Or we don’t have to talk about it” Fujikaze suggested “And we can just go to bed.”

 

“That would be nice” Kakashit sighed finally removing his mask, and forehead protector.  His flak jacket followed, and he laid back in the bed on top of the blankets.  Fujikaze laid back too, and stared at the ceiling.

 

“I’ve just been thinking too much lately” Kakashi finally said.

 

“What about?”

 

“You.  Us.  What this might mean in the future, what this will mean for our futures.”

 

“Look as long as we want each other, we’ll have each other” Fujikaze assured.

 

“But… what if you don’t want me as long as I want you?”

 

“Funny” Fujikaze chuckled “I was thinking that too.  But that’s the gamble with love, and relationships, and building something with someone you know?”

 

Kakashi nodded “It’s all just been making me think of Rin, and Obito more lately.”

 

Fujikaze nodded, letting the silence linger in the air.  Rin, and Obito were a subject near no one brought up with the White Fangs son.  And she wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue that line of conversation.

 

Instead she changed the subject.

 

“I’m leaving on a mission day after tomorrow.”

 

“Oh?” Kakashi turned his head to her “Where to?”

 

“It’s an escort mission to the border with the Land of Sound.  We’re escorting a diplomat back, and a team of Sound Ninja will be waiting there to take the diplomat the rest of the way.”

 

“That sounds like a dumb idea right given what just happened” Kakashi said.

 

“That’s why they want the diplomat out of the village as soon as possible.  The longer he’s here the more he could potentially report back to his whole country.”

 

“I can understand that” Kakashi sighed “But it just sounds like trouble.”

 

“You think anything that involves effort is trouble” Fujikaze snickered.

 

“Anything that isn’t laying here in this bed with you is trouble” Kakashi sighed dramatically rolling over in the bed to flop over Fujikaze.  She laughed in delight trying to push Kakashis hair out of her face to no avail as his head rested on her chest.  She finally gave up trying to move his hair, and instead began to run her fingers through it.

 

“This is nice” Kakashi rumbled making himself more comfortable laying across Fujikaze.  She just smiled, and nodded bringing her other arm around his back.

 

 

* * *

 

The escort mission had been routine, and boring until they were almost at the border.  Fujikaze felt uneasy, like they were being watched.

 

“I don’t like this” She whispered to Ebisu.

 

“I don’t like it either” He agreed “Keep your eyes sharp.”

 

“I’ll do one better” Fujikaze activated her Sharingan, and she could just barely make out some Chakra signitures.

 

“Two chakra signitures” She said “Mostly likely who we’re meeting at the border.”

 

“I hope you’re right” Ebisu sighed, the tenseness in his voice palpable.

 

From there things just got messy.  The diplomat was already dead, and on the ground by Fujikazes hand after he had stabbed her with a poison tipped kunai.  The two ninja they met on the border turned to ten, and it seemed like it would be the end.  Poison steadily making its way through her, rendering her barely able to fight, and Ebisu holding her up, and holding off the enemy ninja.  This wasn’t going to end well.

 

“I’ve got an idea” Fujikaze said “But I don’t know how well it’ll work.”

 

“Anything at this point will be immensely helpful” Ebisu yelled fending off another round of shuriken.

 

Fujikaze closed her eyes for a long moment, and when she opened them again her Mangekyo was activated.  She made the hand signs quickly.

 

“Jikan!”

 

Time stopped, and just like Fujikaze had hoped Ebisu hadn’t been stopped by her jutsu.

 

“What the hell…” Ebisu whispered in awe.

 

“We’ve got like ten seconds we gotta go now” Fujikaze said falling into Ebisus side.

 

“Shit!” Ebisu struggled to catch the rest of her weight as he shunshined them as far away as possible which was still miles away from the village, and this poison seemed to be acting fast.  Maneuvering Fujikaze on to his back Ebisu began to head to the village as fast as he could.

 

 

* * *

 

Waking up in the hospital was always the worst. The bright lights always caused a headache right off the bat, but Fujikaze supposed being alive with a headache was preferable to the other option.

 

“Glad you’re awake” A male voice sighed with relief.

 

“Genma?  Why’re you here right now?” Fujikaze sighed in annoyance.

 

“Well Ebisu got you here like three hours ago, and he told me you were here so…” Genma trailed off with a shrug.

 

“What about Sasuke? And Kakashi?”

 

“I told the brat.  I don’t know if he told Kakashi.”

 

Fujikaze groaned in annoyance sitting herself up “You are such a fucking child Genma I swear!”

 

“To be fair you’re not the one who got sucker punched by Kakashi for asking a question” The long haired male replied.  Fujikaze just rolled her eyes in response.

 

“Yo” The silver haired man in question greeted walking into the hospital room, book in hand.

 

“That’s my cue I suppose.  Get better Ren. I’ll talk to you soon” Genma said then shunshined away.

 

Kakashi eyed the spot where Genma had just been before looking over to Fujikaze.

 

“Heard things went bad, how are you feeling?” Kakashi asked.

 

“Better I guess now that the poisons been taken care of” Fujikaze shrugged.

 

“I need to ask you something by the way” Kakashi said taking a seat next to Fujikazes bed.

 

“What?”

 

His eye drilled right into her, and for the first time since knowing the man in front of her Fujikaze felt… scared by him.  She knew he would never harm her, but she was certain something wasn’t right in this moment.  He was more serious then she’d ever seen him.

 

“How did you, and Ebisu get out of there?”

 

“What… why do you want to know?” She asked.  She knew it wasn’t like she had to hide the fact that she now had a fully activated Mangekyo from her village.  But she certainly didn’t want anyone knowing just what it could do.  It would make her more of a tool to the village then anything.  They’d want to stud her jutsu, use it.

 

“Because something isn’t adding up to how you two were able to get out of there.”

 

“Why do you care?” Fujikaze asked.

 

“Why won’t you tell me?”

 

Fujikaze fidgeted in her bed.

 

“Because I don’t… I don’t want this to be something the village just tries to use.”

 

Kakashi softened his gaze, and leaned back in his chair releasing his domineering posture.

 

“That’s why I want to know.  So I can help you.”

 

Fujikaze nodded looking at her hands. “My Mangekyo… can stop time.  For a short period of time.  The first time I did it, during the attack in the arena… it was only for a couple seconds.  And this last time I just did it it lasted I think for maybe like… ten to fifteen.  I think it lasted longer this time… because I wanted it to.  I’m still not sure how it works or why this is the ability I have but…”

 

“I understand” Kakashi said “Why you would be worried about too many of the wrong people knowing what your eyes can do.  It could make you a target, or a weapon.”

 

“And I just want to take a step back from all that, from village affairs.  I just want to run my bar” Fujikaze sighed leaning back.

 

“Well I think that could be arranged.”

 

“What do you mean?” Fujikaze asked.

 

“Jaraiya has been asked to be the next hokage.”

 

“Seriously?” Fujikaze looked to Kakashi in disbelief “They’re gonna let that old pervert run the village?”

 

“He declined actually.  Said he could find someone far more suitable for the job.”

 

“And who would that be?”


	11. Chapter 11

Something about the day just made Fujikaze feel uneasy.  She wasn’t quite sure just what it was, but she knew it was nothing good.  And her feelings were always right.

 

“Maaa, what’s the matter?” Kakashi asked looking at her reflection in the mirror as she started to get ready for the day.

 

“I’m not looking forward to this meeting with Shikaku” Fujikaze dreaded having to see the Jonin commander.  It never meant anything good.  Especially ever since that mission a couple days ago Ebisu was blabbing all over the village about Fujikazes new ability.  And she knew exactly that that’s what Shikaku had wanted to talk about.

 

“For what it’s worth the little talk I had with Ebisu went very well” Kakashi assured.  Fujikaze snorted to herself.  She wasn’t sure she wanted to know exactly how that little talk had went, but she knew Ebisu must’ve left it shitting his pants.  After all when Kakashi put the effort in he was easily the scariest Jonin in the village.  Fujikaze liked to think she was close behind what with her terrifying strength… and the fact that she may have punched a couple of colleagues through some walls of other bars after they decided to get a little too personal with her.

 

“Well that’s reassuring and all” Fujikaze sighed picking up her eye liner “But that unfortunately doesn’t help at all with the issue at hand.  That being Shikaku wanting to speak to me over what I can only assume is my eyes.”

 

“Can’t say I didn’t try” Kakashi sighed, and walked over to Fujikaze pressing a kiss to the top of her head “I’m going to get in the shower then.”

 

“I’ll probably be gone before you’re out, so have a good day, I’ll see you later” She smiled up at him.

 

He smiled back, and walked into her bathroom.

 

It was nice, staying over at her house, and getting to be with her, and see her, and spend time with her… _live_ with her.

 

It was then standing under the shower spray that Kakashi realized he hadn’t spent a night in his own home in almost two weeks.

 

 

* * *

 

“Do you know why you’re here?” Shikaku asked as the petite kunoichi sat across from him.

 

“I mean I want to think its because I’m a great jonin, and you’re commending me for a job well done” Fujikaze smiled cheekily.

 

 Shikaku stared her down hard; Fujikaze sighed.

 

“It’s because of my eyes isn’t it?”

 

“More importantly the fact that your Mangekyo can stop time.  It’s rare for an Uchiha to develop their Sharingan so late –”

 

“I’m more Fujikaze then Uchiha though” Fujikaze protested.

 

“Your father defected from an enemy nation during the second shinobi war.  The fact that you choose to use his name instead of your mothers is still astounding to most senior officers around the village” Shikaku shook his head “Regardless of the name you choose to use you are still an Uchiha, and one of the last.  Your ability is rare, though unfortunately brought about from a tragedy.”

 

“Look I’m sorry to sound like a brat, but can we please just get to the point of why I’m here? I don’t… want to keep talking about this” Fujikaze sighed looking down at her hands. 

 

Shikaku sighed as well “Women, and their damn emotions are so troublesome some times.”

 

Shikaku took a deep breath, and rubbed his face before continuing.

 

“I’m going to put you on leave from active duty for six months.”

 

Fujikaze looked up in shock. “Excuse me?”

 

“I think given the events of the last two weeks some time for you to recover, and become accustomed to your new abilities is in order to continue to ensure that you are at your best, and an asset to the village.  Which I hope you know you are.”

 

Fujikaze smiled softly at the older man.

 

“Thank you Shikaku, I really appreciate it.  Next time you, Chouza, and Inoichi come in to TakaKo the first round will be on me.”

 

“We’ll take you up on that” He smiled back “You’re dismissed, enjoy your time off.”

 

“I’ll try my best” She assured getting out of her seat.

 

Standing outside the Shinobi headquarters Fujikaze looked up to the sky to see that very familiar bird circling above.

 

She knew that uneasy feeling of hers was right.

 

And it stayed, and settled low into a pit in her stomach.

 

 

* * *

 

She realized she joined the fight too late as behind her were Kurenai, and Asuma with their eyes closed, and Kakashi collapsed to his knees struggling to stay up.

 

“Hello cousin” Fujikaze greeted staring down Itachi with her own Mangekyo.

 

“Hey Itachi, what does she mean?” The man beside her cousin asked.  She knew who he was from the dossiers.  Kisame Hoshigake.  One of the seven swordsmen of the mist. 

 

“You’ve awakened your Sharingan I see” He commented, narrowing his eyes at her.

 

“Yes, unfortunately.”

 

“What made it happen?”

 

“Grandmother died.  While protecting me.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear that” Itachi sighed “She was a good woman.”

 

“She was” Fujikaze agreed.

 

“I’ll pay my respects.”

 

“If you even manage to get away for that long” Fujikaze took a step forward, and Kisame pointed his blade at her.

 

“Hey, he’s still up, and she’s not affected at all, I thought you were the only one with those eyes” Kisame sounded worried.

 

“You sound worried” Fujikaze looked to the blue skinned man “And you should be.”

 

“What’re you searching for in the village” Kakashi demanded, and Fujikaze didn’t dare to look at him to convey her confusion. “Is it Sasuke?”

 

“If you so much as even fucking breathe in his direction –” Fujikaze began ready to attack.

 

“That’s not what I’m here for” Itachi replied coldly.

 

“Then what?” Kakashi asked.

 

“We’re after the Fourth Hokages legacy” Itachi revealed.

 

“What?” Kurenai sounded confused.  And she should.  It wasn’t information just anyone was privy to in a village sworn to secrecy.

 

“You’re after the tailed beast inside Naruto?” Kakashi asked “And you aren’t the only ones either.  Your organization is called Akatsuki, isn’t it?”

 

The reaction was miniscule, but it was there.

 

“Kisame, we’re going to have to take Kakashi” Itachi spoke, and looked at Fujikaze “You dispose of the other two, and I’ll deal with my cousin.”

 

“If you think either one of you will even lay a finger on Kakashi, you’ll have to kill me first” Fujikaze snarled at her cousin.

 

“That can always be arranged Ren” Itachi assured coolly.

 

Kisame rushed at all four Jonin, only one of them able to truly fight unhindered.  Fujikaze prepared herself for the attack coming when she just faintly felt the breeze stir.  She sighed in relief.  Back up had arrived.

 

Before Kisames blade could even come close to touching her, his approach was blocked.

 

“Konoha Whirlwind!”

 

Might Gai had arrived, and just in time, knocking the swordsman back.

 

“Oh?” Kisame smirked “And who might you be?”

 

“Konohas noble blue beast! Might Gai!”

 

“Is… is this guy for real?” Kisame laughed “This can’t be real.”

 

“Do not underestimate him” Itachi said.

 

It was at that moment Kakashi fell over completely, and began to sink into the river.

 

“He’s hurt Kakashi this badly?” Gai demanded picking up his friend, and rival, and tossing him on his shoulder.

 

“Don’t look into his eyes Gai, it’s dangerous for anyone without a Sharingan” Asuma spoke urgently.

 

“I already know that, and I already know how to counter it from fighting with Kakashi” The Tai Jutsu master assured. “Open your eyes you two.”

 

“But his eyes” Kurenai argued, having already fallen into Itachis technique.

 

“When you fight a Sharingan user you just have to avoid looking in their eyes.  Look at their feet, calculate their next move, and counter accordingly.” Gai assured.

 

Both Jonin opened their eyes, keeping them down.

 

“It seems logical” Kurenai agreed.

 

“But you’re the only one that could ever do that” Asuma said.

 

“You may be right about that” Gai agreed “Theres just a certain trick to learn to be able to do that, but this is an emergency.”

 

Gai passed Kakashi over to Kurenai “Kurenai, take Kakashi to a medical squad as fast as possible.  Asuma you cover me” Then he looked to Fujikaze.

 

“And Ren… I’m going to need your help with this fight” He looked into her eyes “You’re the only one right now that can counter his eyes.”

 

Ren looked at Kakashi, and then back to Gai “Oh I’ll counter his eyes alright.  And just maybe rip them out while I’m at it.”

 

“We only have to fight until the ANBU squad I arranged gets here to help.” Gai assured.

 

“Oh they’ve got some balls on them” Kisame grinned in primal delight.

 

“Kisame” Itachi spoke, ever calm, and rational. “We’re going to retreat.  We didn’t come here to start a war, and anymore fighting at this time is unwise, and unnecessary.”

 

Kisame sighed in disappointment “And I was just starting to get excited.  Fine.  We’ll leave.”

 

Both criminals shunshined away, and Gai sighed in frustration.

 

“We’ll have to give pursuit” Gai looked to Fujikaze “Ren, can I count on you?”

 

The small red haired woman looked to Kakashi in worry, and back to Gai “I want to help but…”

 

“I understand.  Take care of him” Gai said, then shunshined away.

 

“I’ll cover him, you two get Kakashi to the hospital” Asuma said, then shunshined after Gai

 

“Lets go” Kurenai nodded at the other Kunoichi.

 

 

* * *

 

Standing in the hallway of the hospital was Fujikaze giving her details of the events of the afternoon so far to an ANBU agent.

 

“It would seem that Itachi has infiltrated the village” She said, arms crossed over her chest “And he said that he’s after Naruto.  Jaraiya told Kakashi that an organization called Akatsuki is seeking out the tailed beasts, and their Jinchuurikis.”

 

“Ren…”

 

She whirled around eyes wide.  Sasuke had been behind her.

 

“Sasuke…”

 

And in a matter of seconds the young boy was racing off, a look of pure rage on his face.

 

“Sasuke!” She yelled trying to go after him.  The ANBU agent stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

 

“Stay here, and out of the trouble” He said “Agents are already on their way to intercept Gai, and Asuma.”

 

“But…” Fujikaze tried to argue, but the ANBU agent gripped her wrist harder.

 

“You’ve been removed from active duty.  At this time you are no more than a civilian, and cannot include yourself in these situations.”

 

Fujikaze sighed in frustration.

 

“Fine” She agreed “I’ll stay put.”

 

The ANBU agent released her, and shunshined away.  She opened the door to Kakashis room, and sat down beside his bed.  He was constantly twitching, and seemed to be in some deep kind of pain.

 

Whatever Itachi had done, there was nothing anyone could do for now, and she hated it.


	12. Chapter 12

“Here again I see” Fujikaze smiled softly at the young Kunoichi seated beside Sasukes bed.

 

“Yeah… this is all I can do right now.  With Naruto gone, and Kakashi sensei…” Sakura trailed off.  Fujikaze placed a hand on her shoulder, and Sakura looked up at the young woman.

 

Fujikaze for her part seemed to be holding it together well enough.  But she was noticeably tired, large dark bags under her eyes, and she seemed thinner, like she hadn’t been eating. 

 

It looked like chakra exhaustion if Sakura remembered correctly from the text books back at the academy.

 

“Are you alright?” Sakura asked.

 

“Me? Oh I’m fine” Fujikaze shrugged, and stepped to the other side of Sasukes bed.  She placed her hand on Sasukes forehead, and began to channel healing chakra into him.  She couldn’t fix what was wrong, but she could ease the pain.  That much she’d been able to learn from Tsunade.

 

“Ren sensei…” Sakura stared in open shock “You’re exhausting yourself to help them?”

 

“Of course I am” Fujikaze smiled at the young girl “They’re all I have, I need to do what I can for them.  After all I learned from one of the best, and I’m doing my best.  Its my own fault I was a shitty student for her to teach” The young woman sighed.

 

Fujikaze stopped the flow of healing chakra once Sasukes breathing evened, and he seemed visibly less pained.

 

“I’ll see you later Sakura, keep him company while I’m gone” Fujikaze smiled, and headed out of the hospital room, to the next one down the hall.  Fujikaze stopped outside the door feeling light headed for just a moment before she went in.

 

She headed over to Kakashi, and placed her hand on his forehead just like she’d done for Sasuke.  It was about fifteen minutes into healing Kakashi that the door to his room opened.

 

“Fucking hell Kiddo, you’re doing this _still_?”

 

She looked over to the door, and smiled tiredly at Asuma.

 

“Hey” She greeted.

 

“Don’t hey me” Asuma frowned folding his arm across his chest “You think this is what Kakashi would want you doing right now? Literally exhausting your chakra until you’re on the brink of death?”

 

“But… they need me.  Its been three weeks now…”

 

Fujikazes vision started to blur as she became weaker.

 

“Hey… Ren?” Asuma called but it she could barely hear him over the rushing sound in her ears.  Her eyes closed, and she collapsed.

* * *

 

 

“The only way to keep her safe from the fighting is to send her away.”

 

“But mother, she’s only six, they wouldn’t think of including her in the fighting” Mineko protested.  The young women, no more than 28, spoke.  Fujikaze would always remember in clarity just how beautiful her mother was.  Ebony black hair, and just the smallest amount of blue highlighting that shone in the light, and her sharp jaw, soft eyes, and full lips.  Mineko Uchiha was a renowned beauty in the clan.  Her, and her sister Mikoto.

 

“Shisui is only six as well, and has already been sent into combat.  Ren is the same age, and graduated with Shisui.  They’re good, strong shinobi.  You know the Hokage doesn’t care how old they are” Shizuka protested.

 

“Then what do you think we should do mother?” Mineko sighed.  Her husband wouldn’t be happy, but as an outsider to the clan his opinion didn’t matter compared to a matriarch.

 

“A former colleague owes me a favor” Shizuka explained “She’s the best healer this village has ever produced.  Ren can be taken away from the village, and the fighting to be trained.”

 

“Will the Hokage allow it?” Mineko sounded concerned, but the only thing to her that mattered was keeping her one, and only child alive, and safe.

 

“The Hokage doesn’t need to know anything until she’s already long gone” Shizuka said matter of factly.

 

“Mom” A small girl, with long black hair like her mothers, and soft eyes, and a sharp jaw stepped out from the shadows.

 

“Shit” Mineko hissed, and Shizuka shook her head at the small girl in annoyance.

 

“I don’t want to go” She said “I want to stay.  I want to fight to protect the village, and to fight with you” Ren said, looking pitiful in that moment “Can’t I please stay?”

 

“It’s too late” Shizuka said “I’ve already contacted my friend.  She’ll be here in three days to collect you.”

 

Ren looked down at her feet trying to fight the tears.  Shinobi didn’t cry, and neither did Uchiha.  She was stronger, and better was expected of her.

 

But she’d always been a sensitive child.  Her mother liked to say she got that from her father.

 

“Yes grandmother” Ren said, and her voice was small, and quiet.  Like it didn’t even belong to her.

* * *

 

 

“Kiddo wake up, come on” Asuma sighed shaking the smaller woman.  Her head rolled towards him, and her eyes opened.

 

“’Suma?”

 

“Yeah kiddo, I’m right here” He sighed in relief, and small smile on his face.

 

“What happened?” She asked sitting up.

 

“Chakra exhaustion got the best of you, and you passed out.  You can’t keep going like this, you’ll kill yourself.  And what will Sasuke have left then to wake up to?”

 

Fujikaze sighed.

 

“You’re right.  I just… want to help.  If I hadn’t been such a shit student, and actually learned from Tsunade – ”

 

“You weren’t a shit student.  You just weren’t meant to be a healer.  Think about how well, and quickly you learned Tsunades combat techniques.  You’re a master at chakra control.  Which is why I can’t believe you let yourself become chakra exhausted.”

 

“We do stupid shit for the people we love” Fujikaze shrugged, and stood up with Asumas help, on shaky legs.

 

“So you do love him huh?”

 

The look Asuma gave Fujikaze was knowing, and patient.  Not like he was mad at her at all.  But still she was worried, and her heart skipped a beat in fear.  Asuma had been in her life for so long she wasn’t sure if anyone else would ever be right for her.

 

But the look on his face he just seemed… to know.

 

“Kakashi?”

 

Asuma nodded.

 

“I… I’m not sure… actually.”

 

“You two have gotten really close the last couple months, it’s kinda hard to miss.  Gai said something about Kakashi staying at your place all the time, has he moved in?”

 

“Oh god no” Fujikaze shook her head “I guess I hadn’t noticed he’d been staying over so much.  It’s not like I mind…”

 

“Look, lets get you home, we can talk more later yeah?”

 

“Yeah, home, and bed sounds really good right now.”

* * *

 

 

Asuma helped Fujikaze into the manor sitting her down in the living room. 

 

“I could sleep for a week” Fujikaze groaned kicking off her sandals, and laying back on the couch.

 

“I bet you could” Asuma laughed, and headed for the kitchen.  Fujikaze watched him go in confusion but when he came back it was with a water bottle, and some chips.

 

“Here ya go Kiddo.  Have a snack, and get some rest.”

 

“You’re too good to me ya know that?” She laughed, and took the water, and chips from Asuma cracking the bottle open immediately.

 

“Not any better than you’ve been to me.  I’ll be the first to admit I’ve treated you kinda shitty in the past.”

 

Fujikaze nodded as she opened the bag of chips.

 

“But recently I mean” Fujikaze said “With the Genma shit, and taking care of my stupid drunk ass.”

 

“We take care of each-others stupid drunk asses.” Asuma said taking a seat in the arm chair across from the couch.  “Still, I can’t help but think about how close you, and Kakashi have gotten.”

 

“Are you… jealous?” Fujikaze asked cautiously.  Her, and Asuma had a long history, but they hadn’t actively been a thing since a few months before Fujikaze met Genma.

 

Asuma took a moment to think about it “Honestly.  At first, when I started to notice, and hear things.  Maybe still a little now.  But Kakashi is also a friend, and you two are good for each other.”

 

“I was worried for a while that… me, and Kakashi might not go over well with you.  Cause you, and I have our ups, and downs, but end of the day you’re important to me Asuma.  You always will be.”

 

“Me too Kiddo.  You always got a place right here” He smiled, and tapped his finger over his heart.

 

It was pleasantly silent for a moment while Fujikaze enjoyed her snack, and that the conversation had gone over better than she hoped.  Asuma still seemed troubled, and deep in thought however.

 

“Ren, what’s your opinion on Kurenai?”

 

“Kurenai?” She asked surprised.  Kurenai was known as a genjustu master, and honestly Fujikaze didn’t know much else about her.

 

“Yeah.  What do you think about her?”

 

Fujikaze shrugged “She talented, and pretty young to be in her position, especially as a woman since there are so few of us female jonins.  I don’t know really.  The fight with Itachi is the most I’ve ever interacted with her, I know you, and Kakashi see her a lot but that’s cause you guys have genin teams I figured.  See seems stern, and kinda bitchy, but overall I feel like shes probably really kind but covers it up because shes a woman in her position.”

 

Asuma nodded “Thank you.”

 

“So does that help you decide whether or not you’re gonna do something about those fuckin’ bedroom eyes she gives you all the time?” Fujikaze smirked.

 

If Asuma had a drink this would’ve been the moment he spit it out, instead he choked on his own spit, and Fujikaze laughed.

 

“Kiddo, it’s not like that –”

 

“Oh come on, what do I care if you go and bang her? Either you two bang, and realize there’s nothing there, or you two bang, and you got feelings.  There’s no bad outcome, just go for it”

 

Asuma stared at her shocked for a moment, and then smiled, and laughed.

 

“You have a way with words sometimes Ren, I swear.  But… it is reassuring… hearing you say that.  I think I was… maybe holding out, and waiting on you after Genma… but we’ve…”

 

“Grown up?” Fujikaze asked.

 

“Yeah.  That’s a good way to put it.  We’ve grown up, grown past the stupid shit we used to do.”

 

“Found two people stupider than us to put up with our nonsense?”

 

Asuma laughed again.

 

“Maybe they’re not stupid though.  Maybe smart enough to see past the bullshit yeah?”

 

Fujikaze nodded “Yeah.  That’s more like it.”

 

“I’m gonna get out of your hair kiddo, just get some rest, and if I find you trying to do any kind of anything with chakra tomorrow I will end you.  You need to recover.”

 

Fujikaze sighed, and leaned back further into the couch.

 

“I will.  Trust me, I don’t like feeling like this.”

 

“Sleep well” Asuma smiled one last time, and got up.

 

Fujikaze listened as he left the house. She wanted to stay awake to get up, and go back to the hospital, but the exhaustion over took her.

* * *

 

 

She slept for nearly two days straight.  She dreamt of her family.  Of her mother, who had died defending the village during the nine tails attack, she dreamt of her grandmother who died saving her, she dreamt of her father.   Her father who had managed to shield both her, and her grandmother from Itachi’s massacre that night by keeping them far away from the Uchiha clan compound.  Her father who had disappeared that same night, never to return.

 

She dreamt of Tsunade.  Of her failures, and successes as a student.

 

She dreamt of Kakashi waking up.

 

She managed to finally get herself up off the couch, stiff, and sore from not moving for so long.  She cleaned herself up, and headed to the hospital.  Still exhausted, and weakened from her chakra draining so low, but she needed to be at the hospital with them.

 

She walked past the reception desk barely giving the nurse a hello as she headed straight to Sasukes room first.  She opened the door just a crack to peak in, and smiled when she saw Sakura sitting there.  She closed the door quietly, and headed down the hall to Kakashis room.  She took her seat next to his bed, and sighed.

 

“Sorry I was gone so long, Asuma made me go home…”

 

She wasn’t sure if Kakashi could hear her or not, but the talking helped.

 

It wasn’t long after getting to the hospital that the door to Kakashis room opened, and more people entered.

 

“C’mon Granny Tsunade, he’s in here!”

 

Naruto entered followed by someone Fujikaze wasn’t sure she would ever see again.  She stood up immediately.

 

“Sensei!”

 

“Sensei?” Naruto asked looking between Fujikaze, and Tsunade “The old lady taught you?”

 

“Yes I did” Tsunade smiled at Fujikaze “Not my greatest success teaching medical ninjutsu, but by far the student with the best chakra control.  How are you Ren?”

 

“I’ve been better.”

 

“And what of Shizuka? I was hoping to visit with her soon.”

 

Fujikaze couldn’t bear to look at her former sensei. “She died during Orochimarus attack on the village.”

 

“Oh” The disappointment in Tsunades voice was hard for her to hear “I see.”

 

Tsunade took a deep breath, and then walked over to Fujikaze.  She put a hand on her former students shoulder, forcing the young girl to look at her.

 

“We’ll talk about this later.” And then Tsunade smiled that knowing smile “And we’ll also talk about why you’re here in the Hatake boys hospital room.”

 

Fujikaze wasn’t sure if her cheeks flushed in embarrassment for being so transparent in her feelings or because she’d been caught.

 

Tsunade placed her hand over Kakashis forehead, and channeled healing chakra into him.  Within minutes his eyes opened.

 

“Glad to see you awake, but could you be more pathetic?” Tsunade frowned at the silver haired man.

 

Kakashi sat up with a groan looking incredibly exhausted.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to be a genius?” Tsunade frowned at him, folding her arms across her chest.

 

“Sorry…” Kakashi managed to get out, his voice hoarse from not being used for so long. 

 

“Now lets go! Bushy brows is next!” Naruto yelled grinning ear to ear.  In the doorway Fujikaze could see a relieved, but still anxious Guy.

 

“We’ll talk later Ren.  I promise.” With that said Tsunade, and everyone else left the room.

 

She felt a hand grip her wrist.  She looked at Kakashi, and smiled.

 

“Hey stranger.  Glad to have you back.”

 

He squeezed harder, reassuring her he was here.  Reassuring himself he was awake.

 

“Glad to be back.”


	13. Chapter 13

“Alright dude, lets get this going” Fujikaze smiled at Sasuke.  He, along with Kakashi, had been out of the hospital for a week now, and Fujikaze had taken it upon herself to help them both get back into the swing of things after a nearly a month of inactivity.

 

They stepped out on to the training field both their hands wrapped knuckle to wrist in bandages.  Today was just strictly hand to hand.

 

Both Sharingan users needed to work on their speed.

 

“Sasuke! You can beat her!”

 

And of course there was the peanut gallery.  Sakura, and Naruto standing off to the sidelines with Kakashi.

 

“Why can’t I ever get any special training” Naruto was clearly pouting, and Fujikaze couldn’t help but role her eyes.

 

“Naruto” Kakashi sighed placing his hand on top of his students head “We’re working on recovery right now.  Regular training will start again soon.  I promise.  We already have a mission scheduled for next week.”

 

“Now that’s more like it!” Naruto cheered.

 

“Idiot” Sasuke sighed.  Fujikaze snorted.

 

“Alright, lets do this then” Fujikaze nodded at Sasuke, and he nodded back immediately taking a fighting stance.  The pair circled each other for a moment before Sasuke made the first strike, his foot shooting out faster than Fujikaze anticipated, but she dodged it like it was nothing.

 

She was getting faster, much to her own surprise.  And the fight went on like that for quite a while, Fujikaze dodging every single one of Sasukes attacks, but landing all of her own.

 

He was getting beyond frustrated she noted, and in a moment his Sharingan was activated, he leaned back on to one hand, and landed a brutal kick to Fujikaze chin.  She fell down the force of the kick making her jaw lock for a moment.

 

“Looks like I’m getting better” Sasuke smirked at her victoriously.

 

“You little cheat!” She snapped rubbing her jaw, she stood back up her own Sharingan activated now. “That’s how you wanna play, that’s how we’ll play.”

 

“Maaa, Ren, you may want to go easy on him” Kakashi called.  Fujikaze turned a glare at the older jonin, and he laughed nervously “Or maybe not.”

 

Fujikaze cracked her knuckles, and Sasuke suddenly felt the overwhelming force of chakra pressing down in the air around him.  Fujikaze aimed a punch straight to the training field, and Sasuke jumped out of the way just in time for the ground to break apart violently.

 

Sasuke landed on a tree branch watching his older cousin cautiously.  She lost all sense of a fighting stance, and instead picked up one of the larger pieces of the broken up ground in one hand like it was nothing, and lobbed it straight at him. Sasuke barely managed to get away.

 

“Ren! What the hell!” He called.

 

“Cheaters get what cheaters get Sasuke!”

 

“You tell him Ren Sensei!” Naruto cackled.

 

“Naruto shut up, Kakashi Sensei do something! This is dangerous!” Sakura snapped.

 

“Not any more dangerous than any other training session” Kakashi shrugged.

 

“Well I’m calling this training session to an end then.”

 

Everyone looked to see Tsunade approaching.

 

“Sensei? What are you doing here?” Fujikaze asked.

 

“Looking for you.  I’ve had a little time to settle in now, and I think it’s time we finally had our talk.”

 

“Now?” Fujikaze asked “But I’m all…” She gestured to herself covered in sweat wearing only a halter cut training bra, and leggings, and her hair which had been neatly pulled back into a ponytail was now damp, and sticking to her sweaty forehead, and coming loose.

 

“We’re just going to TakaKo.  It’ll be fine” Tsunade waved her off.

 

“You want me to open my bar early for you?” Fujikaze folded her arms across her chest “Are you sure this is you wanting to catch up, and not just desperate to get started on day drinking?”

 

“Nonsense.  Drinks were the last thing on my mind, but since we’re going to TakaKo, we might as well have at least one, and maybe a couple shots.”

 

“Uh huh, sure, gimme a sec here” Fujikaze shook her head, and walked over to Kakashi, arms still folded over her chest.

 

“Will you be ok, handling the spawn for the rest of the day?”

 

“You act like I can’t do anything.” The look on his face was annoyed to say the least “I’ll be fine Ren.”

 

“Alright” She sighed, and reached out to wrap her index finger around his, and squeezed. “I’ll see you later?”

 

He squeezed back.

 

“I’ll meet with you after your meeting with Tsunade.”

 

“Alright.” She smiled at him, and began to leave the training grounds with Tsunade.

 

When Kakashi turned his attention back to his students Sakura, and Naruto were slack jawed, and staring wide eyed.

 

“Ka… Kakashi Sensei…” Naruto stuttered.

 

“Hm?”

 

“KAKASHI SENSEI HAS A GIRLFRIEND?!” Naruto shouted in disbelief.

 

Kakashi laughed nervously “Now, now, relax will you Naruto it’s not a big deal.”

 

“Ahhhh!” Sakura screeched with delight “I knew it! You two are so perfect together!”

 

“I gotta go tell… everyone!” Naruto yelled, and sprinted off.

 

“Hey! No! Naruto wait!” Kakashi called taking off after the knuckle head

 

“This is so lame” Sasuke shook his head.  Sakura looked at him, and just smiled, a small giggle escaping.

 

Sasuke waited until she took off after Naruto, and Kakashi, and smirked to himself just a little as he followed after her.

 

Maybe it wasn’t completely lame.

* * *

 

 

 

“So, no sugar coating, and no skipping over anything” Tsunade began, watching as Fujikaze poured her a drink “How have you been?”

 

Fujikaze stopped mid pour, and looked at Tsunade over her glasses.

 

“Honestly? Probably the best I’ve been in a long while.  It was rocky for a bit, after Genma, and I broke up –”

 

“You were seeing the Shiranui boy too?” Tsunade asked taking her drink from Fujikaze “First Senseis son, then Genma, and now Kakashi? You’ve made quite the work of some of the jonin men.”

 

“What can I say, I guess I know how to pick’em” Fujikaze shrugged.

 

“Things are going well with Kakashi then I take it?”

 

“There aren’t things going on between us. We spend time together, we drink together, we train the kids, and sometimes we make out.  That’s it” Fujikaze shrugged.

 

“You haven’t slept with him yet?” Tsunade smiled as she took a sip of her drink.

 

Fujikaze threw back a shot, and slammed the glass on the table “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

 

Tsunade laughed.  “You haven’t.  That’s how I know you’re serious about him.  Everyone can see how much you two care about each other.  Especially with Kakashi.  From what I hear, he doesn’t do feelings.”

 

“Yeah, and I thought I didn’t either, and look where it got me.”

 

“You’re strong, you’re not emotionless.  There’s a difference.”

 

Fujikaze shrugged again “Shouldn’t you be working right now? I’m sure Shizune would just love to catch you here in the middle of the day.”

 

Now Tsunade threw her drink back, slamming the empty glass on the table.

 

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

 

Fujikaze couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“How did Shizuka pass?” Tsunade finally asked.

 

Fujikaze got that sad faraway look in her eyes as she poured another drink for Tsunade, and another shot for herself.

 

“She died saving me.  That’s how my Sharingan, and my Mangekyo activated.”

 

“I see.  She really did love you, you know” Tsunade smiled softly.

 

“I know.  We had our ups, and downs, but I know she cared.”

 

“Its good though, that your eyes finally caught up.  I always knew you weren’t meant to be a medic as much as your mother, and grandmother wanted it to be true.  You were always meant to fight Ren.”

 

Fujikaze huffed a laugh, and took her shot.  “Of course.  I never would’ve picked up your combat training like I did otherwise.”

 

“Now, tell me more about you, and Kakashi.  I want to know everything going on there.”

 

Tsunade smiled patiently as she listened to her former student.  Its what Shizuka, and Mineko would’ve wanted.  For someone to be there for that girl.  And Tsunade always did have a unique fondness for violent, loud mouthed, brats.

* * *

 

 

 

“Hey, hey! Granny did you hear?” Naruto yelled running into TakaKo, Kakashi right on his heels, followed by Sakura, and Sasuke.

 

The two women were well beyond sober at this point, Hyuna having come to relieve Fujikaze of bartending for the day.

 

“Eh? What’s all the noise for, quiet down” Tsunade waved him off.

 

Fujikaze turned in her stool to look at everyone gathered.  She folded her arms, and raised an eyebrow in question at everyone.

 

“What’s goin’ on?”

 

Kakashi looked flustered, and exhausted all at once, and knowing that Fujikaze was drunk right now didn’t help either.  She could either react incredibly poorly, or super well.  There was no telling with her.  Ever.

 

“Ren, it’s not what you think I swear, I’ve been following him all over the village trying to stop him –”

 

“There you are Kakashi!”

 

Enter Might Gai.

 

Kakashi wanted to die right then, and there.

 

“I must congratulate you, and Ren on your youthful decree of love!”

 

“Love?” Fujikaze looked confused.

 

Kakashi wished a hole would open up, and just swallow him.

 

“What the hell is everyone going on about?” Tsunade demanded.

 

Naruto grinned, and jumped up on the bar pointing at Fujikaze.

 

“Ren Sensei is Kakashi Senseis girlfriend!”

 

This was it.  It was the end.  Over before anything had ever begun, it was time for him to pack up, and never look back.  Kakashi was sure Fujikaze would never go for this, and that this would be the end of everything that they had started building together no matter how tentative.

 

“Girlfriend?” Fujikaze looked at him shocked.

 

“Ren, I’m sorry I tried to stop him from telling everyone all over the village –”

 

“I thought I’d have to be the one to tell you, you were my boyfriend, glad to see you finally worked up the balls to make the first move for once.”

 

Kakashi felt like his brain was going to fry.  This was not at all what he had expected.

 

“Well congratulations you two, for finally not being to dumb to admit your feelings” Tsunade said as she got off her stool “I think its time we all leave the two of them alone for a little bit.”

 

“But –” Naruto protested.

 

“No buts.  They need to talk, everyone out.” Tsunade ushered everyone out.

 

“You’ve beaten me this time my rival, but that just evens the score!” Gai called before being completely thrown out of TakaKo by Tsunade. 

 

Kakashi collapsed onto the floor.  Sheer exhaustion, and stress finally overwhelming him.

 

Fujikaze laughed, and knelt down next to him.  He finally looked at her, and smiled.

 

“So girlfriend huh?” She asked.

 

“I really did try all day to stop him from telling everyone that.”

 

“He told everyone?” Fujikaze asked in shock.

 

“He stood on top of one of the stalls in the market, and shouted it to everyone who could hear him.”

 

Fujikaze shook her head.

 

“These fucking kids are gonna be the death of me.”

 

“You, and me both” Kakashi agreed.

 

“Guess we can’t disappoint the village then.”

 

Kakashi looked at her surprised.  She shrugged.

 

“You’re my boyfriend now, I don’t make the rules, that’s just how it works.”

 

Kakashi sat up.

 

“Oh?”

 

Fujikaze nodded at him.

 

“I guess I could be ok with that given the proper… persuasion” Kakashi smirked.  And Fujikaze didn’t hesitate a second to bring down his mask, and kiss him.

 

He pulled back instantly the taste of alcohol invading his mouth.

 

“How much did you have to drink today?” He asked shocked.

 

“Too much” Hyuna snapped looking over the bar.

 

Fujikaze just smiled, and shrugged.  “I get it from Tsunade, what can I say?”

 

“Nice face by the way” Hyuna nodded at Kakashi.

 

He quickly put his mask back on.

 

“I think its time to get you home” Kakashi said standing up, and pulling Fujikaze up with him as well.  She only swayed a little.  He was impressed.

 

“And I think its about damn time we got naked together” She huffed.

 

Kakashi could only take so much in one day.

 

“We’ll talk about that at home.”

 

“Ugggh, you’re no fun!” Fujikaze groaned, but allowed herself to be led out of TakaKo.

 

Hyuna waved goodnight, and bid good luck.

 

Kakashi was going to need it.


	14. Chapter 14

“I’m sorry, what?” Fujikaze looked at Shizune with a look that was a mix of disbelief, and anger.  This was _totally_ just the kind of news she needed to hear about while she was behind the bar serving guests.

 

Guests that consisted of incredibly nosey shinobi.

 

For example Might Gai.

 

“Ren, that’s fantastic news isn’t it!” Gai interrupted with delight.

 

“Uh…” Fujikaze sat the glass she’d been wiping down and folded her arms across her chest.

 

“Look, I get that it’s a little much to take in at the moment, but –”

 

“I dunno man saying ‘your father is alive, and requesting your presence in his home country’ is kinda more than a little much.  First of all I don’t even know which nation my father came from, he, and my mother never spoke about it.”

 

“The Land of Lightning.” Shizune answered.

 

Fujikaze let out a loud noise somewhere between a laugh, and a cry of surpise.

 

“The Land of Lighting? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.  How much you want to bet that this is all some kind of ploy by Kumo to get their hands on the Sharingan?”

 

“Lady Tsunade has considered that a possibility.”

 

“But it is her father!” Gai protested “No father would ever want to put their daughter in harm like that!”

 

“Gai, I appreciate the concern, but this is my business –”

 

“Nonsense! You are Kakashis youthful love, I must treat you as I treat my rival, and best friend!  I’ll be there always, whenever I am needed!” He gave his trademark thumbs up. 

 

Fujikaze just groaned.

 

“Lady Tsunade thinks it would be wise to answer their correspondence at the very least, but does not wish to do so without you since it concerns you.” Shizune said.

 

“Well that’s very kind of her, but I’m a little busy right now.”

 

There were three customers total in TakaKo at the moment.  Gai, who had been sitting at the bar talking with Fujikaze before Shizune had come rushing in, and Anko, and Ibiki in the very back corner table seemingly minding their own business.

 

“Boss just go” Hyuna said coming out from the kitchen.

 

“But –”

 

“No buts.  It’s about your dad, just go.  We’ll stop serving lunch early, and I’ll just run the bar until Hiro, and Shima get here to close.”

 

Fujikaze sighed, and untied her waist apron.

 

“Alright.  I’ll go.”

 

“Excellent!” Shizune smiled.

 

Fujikaze wiped her hands dry on her jeans, and grabbed her red flannel over shirt pulling it back on over her black tank top.

 

The two shinobi left the bar, leaving Hyuna to take over.  She looked at Gai, and smiled.

 

“So what’re you drinking today handsome?”

 

Gai almost choked on his drink.

* * *

 

 

“This is really just… not great” Fujikaze sighed rubbing her temples.

 

“I agree” Tsunade sighed.  “They’ve given actual physical proof that your father is alive, and well.”

 

“Then why doesn’t he just return to Konoha? Something about that is what seems wrong.  If he was made a citizen of the Leaf –”

 

“That’s what I’m saying” Tsunade interrupted “They must be holding him prisoner, and using him as leverage to get you to go to Kumo.  No other village has ever tried as hard to steal not only our village’s special techniques, but others as well.”

 

“Good, then we’re in agreeance.  No one’s going anywhere, and we’re sending them a letter back that we decline their offer.”

 

“It’s not that simple Ren.  As you said your father is a shinobi, and citizen of Konoha.  We must at least investigate whether to determine if he is alive or not, and if he is alive to return him to the village.”

 

“My father walked out on me five years ago.  When a seventeen year old girl kinda needs her father the most.  As far as I’m concerned he died then.  He made a choice.  He didn’t want me anymore.”

 

“Ren…” Tsunade gave her that sad look.

 

“If you want to send someone to go, and check out the legitimateness of this, then by all means. But count me out.”

 

“That’s just the thing though” Tsunade sighed.  “As soon as I received this correspondence I dispatched ANBU to investigate.”

 

“How long ago did Kumo send this request?” Fujikaze asked sitting back in her chair feeling all the more betrayed.

 

“Two weeks.  The ANBU have brought back photo evidence.  Your father appears to be living in a nice enough apartment by himself.”

 

“Let me see the pictures” Fujikaze demanded.  Tsunade held out the folder, and Fujikaze snatched it opening it immediately.

 

She grabbed the first Polaroid, and her heart fluttered.  That was him.  That was her father.  Dark hair, and green eyes, tanned skin, and a neatly kept beard.  Just as she remembered him.  Living in as Tsunade had described to be a nice apartment.

 

“But… it could be transformation… they could’ve staged these knowing that ANBU might come…”

 

“Now you’re just being paranoid Ren.  That’s him.  That’s Takamori Fujikaze.”

 

“Well… shit.”

* * *

 

 

“The Cloud Village?” Kakashi asked looking at Fujikaze in shock.  She was sitting on the kitchen counter of her home drinking a rather large can of beer while Kakashi put together dinner.

 

“Yeah.” She took another large drink from the can, and sighed “I don’t know what to do.  Tsunade wants to send me there with a squad.”

 

“But you were removed from active duty.”

 

“That’s what I said.  She wants to put me back on as soon as possible because the jonin of the village are being stretched too thin after Orochimarus attack.”

 

Kakashi placed his hand on her knee.

 

“Whatever this is… I’m here for you.  I won’t let anything happen to you.”

 

Fujikaze smiled softly “I know.  I really do appreciate you.” She reached out to lower Kakashis mask, to kiss him.

 

“Hey, hey! Is dinner ready yet?”

 

Fujikaze sighed in frustration letting Kakashis mask go.  Naruto ran into her kitchen followed by Sasuke.

 

“Naruto.  I didn’t realize you’d be having dinner with us tonight” She smiled patiently at the young knucklehead.

 

“He wouldn’t take no for an answer, believe me I tired” Sasuke sighed walking to the fridge.  He pulled out a can of juice.

 

“Don’t be rude Sasuke, offer a drink to your guest too” Fujikaze chided.

 

“Yeah Sasuke, don’t be rude to your guest” Naruto stuck his tongue out.

 

“And you don’t be rude to your host” Fujikaze flicked the blonde on the back of the head.

 

“Tch.  Idiot” Sasuke still reached into the fridge to retrieve another drink anyway.

 

“Why don’t you two go set the table, dinner will be done soon” Kakashi promised.

 

“C’mon loser” Sasuke instructed walking out of the kitchen.

 

“Hey! I’m not a loser!” Naruto snapped following.

 

“Maybe I should go on this mission.  Just to get away from the kids” Fujikaze said looking at Kakashi.  He chuckled in response.

* * *

 

 

There was no escaping these kids.  Tsunade had assigned Team Kakashi to the Kumo mission given their success with higher ranked missions.

 

Just wonderful.

 

The journey through the land of Hot Water was uneventful until they got to the port city to take them across the ocean.

 

“Why aren’t we just continuing though The Land of Frost?” Sakura asked as all five shinobi stood in line to purchase tickets for the boat ride.

 

“It’s faster, and easier to just cross the sea” Fujikaze responded.  “It would take us twice as long to travel through the Land of Frost with all that snow.”

 

“And resting on a boat for two days has nothing to do with it” Sasuke folded his arms, and gave his cousin a stern look.

 

“Listen kid, you gotta appreciate the little things.  Like being ferried across an ocean on a boat, and not having to worry about things for a few days.” Fujikaze shrugged lazily

 

“It’s best to rest when we can, because once we cross the border into the Land of Lightning there’s no telling what can happen” Kakashi offered.

 

“Exactly” Fujikaze agreed.

 

“Ah, looks like it’s our turn, I’ll be right back” Kakashi said jerking his thumb over his shoulder towards the ticket booth.

 

“Alright Ren Sensei… give us the details” Naruto said, his voice more serious then she’d ever heard it before.

 

“What do you mean?” She asked confused.

 

“This mission isn’t just about your dad right? You’re secretly a princess of The Land of Lightning aren’t you?!”

 

“Idiot” Sasuke rolled his eyes “I think I would know if my cousin was royalty.”

 

“I think _I_ would know if I was royalty.  As far as I understand the Fujikaze clan is prominent in the Cloud Village, but I’m definitely not any kind of princess.”

 

“Ugh, that’s so boring though.” Naruto laced his fingers behind his head, and kicked the ground “I wanna save a princess…”

 

“Naruto you are such an idiot” Sakura folded her arms, and shook her head “Princesses aren’t saved by guys like you, they’re saved by guys like Sasuke.”

 

“Cause that’s what every princess wants, a brooding asshole” Fujikaze rolled her eyes.

 

“I’m right here” Sasuke glared at her, she smirked in return.

 

“That’s why I said it out loud.”

 

“Alright I got some bad news” Kakashi announced rejoining the group, holding five tickets in his hand.

 

“Of course there’s bad news, why wouldn’t there be” Fujikaze sighed.

 

“We’re the last passengers on the boat, but there are a limited amount of rooms.  Sakura, and Ren will be sharing, and Sasuke, and Naruto will be sharing with me.”

 

The boys groaned.  Sakura squealed with delight.

 

“Alright, one on one time with Ren Sensei!”

 

“That’s not that exciting, I promise” Fujikaze said.

 

“I don’t know, I think one on one time with you is pretty exciting” Kakashi smiled at her easily.

 

She rolled her eyes.  “That has got to be the cheesiest thing you’ve ever said.”

 

“If you two could not flirt in front of me that would be great” Sasuke deadpanned, staring right at the two jonin.

 

Kakashi just laughed it off.

* * *

 

 

“Ren Sensei, tell me more about Sasuke!” Sakura demanded as they turned in for the night.  Fujikaze was leaning against her pillows turning pages of her book.  Kakashi had offered to borrow her his copy of Makeout Paradise but only after she’d annoyed him, and embarrassed him enough about it.

 

He really didn’t want people knowing he read this… smutty literature.

 

If Fujikaze could be bothered to consider it smut.  She’d give Kakashi some of her books one of these days.

 

“What do you want to know?” Fujikaze didn’t bother looking up from her book, but the young kunoichi was sitting on the edge of Fujikazes bed, staring intently at her.

 

“What’s he like at home?”

 

“Annoying.”

 

Sakura pouted. “Sensei!”

 

“You asked, I answered.”

 

Sakura sighed “What’s he like at home other than annoying?”

 

“He’s a little bit of a clean freak.  I don’t know what you want me to tell you here” Fujikaze shrugged looking at the young hopeful girl.

 

“Anything! Anything that can help me be a woman that Sasuke will love!”

 

“He’s a boy Sakura, and he’s only thirteen.  He’s gonna grow up, and change a lot before he settles into who he can really be.  Don’t go getting your heart worked up, and broken over him.  It’ll save you a lot of tears.”

 

Sakura leaned back, and stared at Fujikaze in shock.

 

“Sorry, that was a little heavy huh?” Fujikaze tried to laugh it off “I just mean… I was with a guy early on, and our relationship was great when we were kids, but we grew up, and drifted apart, and drifted back together.  But it was never as good as the first time around, the feelings weren’t as strong, and then we just drifted… to other people.”

 

“You mean Kakashi Sensei?”

 

“Well… there were a couple other guys before Kakashi” Fujikaze scratched her cheek in embarrassment “But that’s life.  You meet people, and you learn, and you grow.”

 

“For what it’s worth, as long as I’ve known Kakashi Sensei I’ve never seen him this serious.”

 

“You call this serious?” Fujikaze scoffed “The man deals in nap time, and relaxation time.”

 

Before Sakura could speak further Fujikaze leapt forward, and put a hand over her mouth.  She could feel it.  Five strong chakra presences, and they were all on the side of the boat right on their room.  They stayed like that for a moment while Fujikaze waited on them to move on.  They did so, climbing to the main deck. 

 

“Ren Sensei –”

 

Fujikaze shushed her, and leapt out of bed grabbing her weapons pouch.  She was in her pajamas which consisted of high waisted skin tight shorts, and a cropped t shirt.

 

“We’re being boarded by enemy ninja.  I need you to defend yourself alright? I’m going out the door first, to make sure it’s clear, you will follow me no more than a minute later do you understand?”

 

Sakura put her shoulders back, and nodded.  Fujikaze tossed her a kunai, and slowly opened the cabin door to the hallway.  It was clear for the time being.  She stepped out into the hallway, one end led to a dead end, they were the last cabin in the row, the other led to a cross section of hallways. 

 

Fujikaze silently made her way down the hallway, her own kunai at the ready. She heard the door to her cabin open, and close quietly Sakura quickly joined her before she could make it all the way to the end of the hallway.

 

Fujikaze could feel another strong chakra presence approaching, and activated her Sharingan.  Fujikaze put her hand out behind her signaling to Sakura to stop where she was.  Fujikaze took on second before she leapt out into the cross section of hallways her kunai held to a neck, as one was held to hers.

 

“So you felt it too then?” Kakashi asked as he, and Fujikaze stood there still holding kunai to each-others throats.  It looked like he’d been just about ready to go to sleep too.  All he had on was his sleeveless jumpsuit, even his headband was off, but his Sharingan eye was closed.

 

“Yeah.  They were right against my cabin.  I get a feeling they’re Kumo.”

 

“Can’t assume” Kakashi chided.

 

“Kakashi sensei?”

 

They finally lowered they’re kunai, and looked at the boys following behind Kakashi.

 

“Yes Naruto?”

 

“I think they’re still on the upper deck, I just heard –”

 

There was a scream, and a splash from up top.  All five shinobi raced to the stairs leading to the deck.

* * *

 

 

The main deck was in absolute chaos as sailors were being thrown overboard, women, and children were running for cover, trying to get below deck.

 

This was a civilian ferry.  There were families on this boat.

 

Fujikaze felt her heart sink.

 

This was because of her.  It had to be.  Kumo Nin attacking her travel route after Tsunade had sent a letter ahead of time detailing when the Konoha shinobi should arrive to Kumogakure.

 

The boat ride was a perfect place, she would be a sitting duck for two days.

 

“Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, protect the civilians, and help the sailors get back on board” Kakashi instructed.

 

“Eh!” Naruto cried “What are you two going to do?”

 

“Take care of these attackers” Fujikaze answered before Kakashi could, activating her Sharingan.

 

She had to stop them.  This was her fault.

 

The kids spread out, Sakura helping the women, and children get under deck safely, Naruto using his shadow clones to reach into the water, and lift the sailors back on to the boat, and Sasuke covering them both.  Kakashi, and Fujikaze spread out, taking either side of the boat, she came face to face with two shinobi both grinning at her viciously.

 

“She’s the one then?” One asked, he had only one eye visible.

 

“Yeah” Replied the other, he had a goatee.

 

“The one?” Fujikaze asked, narrowing her eyes, watching their movements.  She was ready.

 

“The missing Fujikaze, the deserter’s kid.” Goatee responded, not even a second later his hand shot out to grab at her, and she dodged without missing a beat.  One eye, and Goatee crowded in on her attacking quickly but using on hand to hand.  Just as she was to be backed into the railing she jumped over them landing right behind them.  They turned to look at her, and looked at each other smirking.

 

“She’s faster than the dossier said.” Goatee said.

 

“Don’t forget, she’s a Konoha Jonin.  She’s going to be harder to take down than you think” One eye responded.

 

Fujikaze scoffed “If you can even take me down at all.”

 

She rushed towards them quicker than they thought she could move, and landed a gut punch straight to One eye, channeling as much chakra as she could into the punch.

 

Goatee watched in wonder, and horror as his accomplice went straight through the railing of the ship, and flying through the air.  The splash couldn’t even be heard the force of Fujikazes punch was so strong.

 

Fujikaze turned her gaze to the man still standing on the deck.  He was shaking in terror as she fixed him with her Mangekyo.

 

“You’re a monster” He managed to get out before Fujikaze round house kicked him with the same amount of chakra force as One Eye.

 

Fujikaze looked across the deck in time to see Kakashi send two more nin overboard.  But that was only four.  Fujikaze was sure she had counted five.  That was when she heard the cry of help coming from the bridge on the second platform of the boat.  She, and Kakashi looked at each other, and ran.

 

Fujikaze kicked in the door to bridge, and both Jonin watched as the fifth, and final attacker stood there holding the captain of the ship hostage with a kunai pointed at the man’s throat.

 

“Let him go, and you’ll be spared” Kakashi called out.

 

“Spared like my comrades?” He asked.

 

“They weren’t killed, just sent overboard” Fujikaze responded, a smirk of her own.

 

“I saw how you took care of them.  You’re that deserter’s daughter alright.  Too cocky, and full of yourself.”

 

Fujikaze gave Kakashi the look.

 

“Now isn’t the time for ‘I told you so’ Ren.”

 

“So what then? You’re trying to take me here? Try to steal my Sharingan?”

 

The man smirked “Look at you.  Pretty smart for a Fujikaze.  That’s right, your clan, and your father owe a debt.  The least he could do was offer your eyes.  And you fell for the trap.”

 

“Kinda hard to fall for a trap when you knew it was one in the first place” Fujikaze smirked, hand on her hip.

 

“What does that mean?” The man demanded.

 

“It means, you should’ve looked behind you” Kakashi spoke appearing behind the man as the shadow clone next to Fujikaze vanished. Kakashi landed a hit directly to the side of his neck that incapacitated him freeing the ships captain who collapsed to the ground thanking the two Jonin.

 

“Hey Kakashi” Fujikaze called watching as he restrained the unknown shinobi.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Now can I say I told you so?”

 

He groaned.


	15. Chapter 15

Kakashi, and Fujikaze stood over the unknown shinobi as he sat tied in the bridge.

 

“What’re you going to do to me?” He asked.

 

“I dunno… throw you overboard like the rest?” Fujikaze shrugged,

 

“But before that, we have some questions that need to be answered” Kakashi said.

 

“If you think I’m going to betray my village –”

 

“Look your idiot accomplices, and you have already said enough for us to get the picture.  You’re after me, and it has something to do with my father.  Either you can clarify it for us, or you can sink to the bottom of the ocean” Fujikaze sighed in disinterest.

 

“Do whatever you want to me, I won’t betray clan or country.”

 

“Clan?” Kakashi asked.

 

“The debt that traitor owes isn’t to Kumo.  It’s to the Kakuzo Clan.”

 

“That’s all I needed to know, can we throw him overboard now?” Fujikaze asked smiling at Kakashi.

 

“No.  We’re going to take him below deck, and hold him there until we get to port.  The port authorities can deal with him.”

 

“Ugh, you never let me do anything fun” Fujikaze groaned.

 

It was that moment that the ninja of the Kakuzo clan decided that this woman was nothing like the other women of the Fujikaze clan.

 

She lacked their gentleness, their softness, their… ladylikeness. It also seemed like she’d be able to give the men of her clan more than a run for their money.

 

These Konoha Shinobi were no joke it seemed.

 

* * *

 

 

After giving over the Kakuzo clan shinobi to the port authorities the five shinobi gathered together to look over the travel route.

 

“There’s a lot of mountains to travel through, but before we even get to any of the mountains we have to travel through a large canyon.” Fujikaze sighed looking at the map.

 

“Can we stop at any hot springs?” Sakura asked excitedly “I’ve heard that the minerals in the mountain water can give you youthful skin!”

 

“You’re only thirteen, you already have youthful skin” Fujikaze gave the girl an irritated frown.

 

“But –” Sakura tried to protest.

 

“No buts” Kakashi cut her off “We do have an important mission.”

 

Sakura sighed in disappointment.

 

“We never get to do anything fun.”

 

“Missions aren’t about having fun” Fujikaze said “They’re about bettering the village.”

 

“We should get going” Kakashi said, giving Fujikaze a look.  The look they shared was grim.  They’d both felt approaching chakra presences.  Apparently the attackers on the ocean weren’t the only ones.

 

Fujikaze felt sick to her stomach.  She just wanted this to be over.

* * *

 

 

They had joined with a small caravan to cross the canyon to the mountain range that would take them to Kumogakure.

 

Kakashi had taken point in front of the caravan, the kids in the middle watching the sides, and Fujikaze brought up the rear.  That lingering feeling of unease continued to persist.

 

“You guys are a long way from Konoha huh?” The old man sitting in the wagon at the back of caravan smiled pleasantly at her.  Fujikaze offered a smile back.

 

“Yeah, a little bit.  We’re here on a diplomatic mission of sorts.”

 

“That sounds exciting!”

 

“For the kids I suppose it is, they like visiting new lands.”

 

“And not you?”

 

“Just not this mission” She shrugged.

 

She felt it before she saw it.  Chakra signatures.

 

“Young lady?” The old man asked

 

“Close up the canvas, and take cover” She instructed the old man.  He nodded, and motioned to the other people in the wagon to get down under the seats as he closed the flaps.

 

She activated her Sharingan, and turned her gaze to the canyon walls, looking for any spot their attackers could hide.

 

She watched as Sasuke quickly left his spot in the middle of the caravan to join her at the back.

 

“Ren…”

 

“There are Chakra signatures approaching, and quickly.”

 

It had to have been the same ones that Fujikaze felt at the port.  Now these poor people who were only trying to get home were in danger because of her.

 

“Kakashi Sensei thought as much” Sasuke nodded.

 

Before Fujikaze could respond, a kunai whipped past her shoulder, and through the canvas covering the wagon.

 

And just like that the canyon was filled with fighting, there were at least three to one.  Fujikaze, and Sasuke stood back to back as they fended off attacks.  They wouldn’t stop coming it felt like, and easily enough she was separated from Sasuke, and from the caravan as a whole.

 

One of the attacking ninja grabbed her arm, and wrenched it behind her back she channeled chakra into her opposite hand, and reached behind her to grab the collar of the other ninja, and throw him off her back.

 

She rounded on the other shinobi, her Mangekyo now activated as she channeled chakra into both fists.

 

She was pissed.

 

One of the shinobi made the mistake of moving first, her fist quickly meeting his face, sending the man flying.

 

The remaining shinobi hesitated before rushing her, she aimed a punch straight to the ground breaking it apart, and halting their advance.

 

She stood there breathing heavily, the rage on her face plain for all to see.

 

“You always were such an angry child.”

 

She turned to see a masked shinobi standing there with his arms folded.

 

“Excuse me?” She demanded, clenching her fists.

 

The shinobi chuckled.

 

“Ren look out!”

 

She heard Kakashi callout, and just as she turned that’s when she felt it.  She reached up to her neck to yank out the dart that had hit her, and behind her stood another masked shinobi now being chased off by Naruto.

 

Her knees gave out, and she was caught by the man in front of her.

 

“I’m sorry we had to do it this way, but you, and I need to talk, father to daughter.”

 

She looked up at him her eyelids heavy, and going unfocused.

 

“Dad?”

 

“It’s alright Ren.  I got you.”

 

Her eyes closed, and the man lifted her up into his arms.

 

“You’re not getting away!”

 

Sasuke ran at the unknown ninja holding Fujikaze, but just as he was about to strike two more shinobi showed to block his path giving the man holding Fujikaze his chance to escape.

* * *

 

 

When Fujikaze awoke her head ached, and her vision was blurry.  Something was wrong, but she couldn’t exactly remember what in just that moment.

 

“Oh! You’re awake!”

 

Before she could even process this unknown woman in her space, she reached out quickly, and grabbed the woman by the collar of her kimono holding tightly.

 

She screamed loudly, and for help.

 

“Where am I?” Fujikaze demanded, but the woman wouldn’t stop screaming.

 

The sliding door opened with a slam, and two more people entered as Fujikaze’s vision focused.  She held tighter to the woman, and the two men stood in the entrance way.

 

“Let her go!” One yelled.

 

“I’ll let her go, when someone tells me where the fuck I am!” Fujikaze snapped sitting up. She shook the woman once, and gave her the most terrifying look she could manage “Stop screaming!”

 

The woman whimpered, and settled down with tears in her eyes.

 

“Let her go, and then we’ll tell you” The other said, he seemed patient.  And kind.

 

“Whats going on in here?” Another voice came from the hall, and in walked the last person Fujikaze expected to see in this moment.

 

“Ren, let your cousin go” Her father sighed.

 

She looked between her father, and the girl she was holding.

 

“She’s my cousin?” She asked skeptically.

 

Takamori sighed. “They’re all your cousins, and they’re not going to hurt you, so just let her go.”

 

Fujikaze released the crying girl, and she staggered away to the side of the calm, and patient cousin.

 

“Dad, what the fuck is –”

 

“Hold that thought.  Ushio, get your cousin some clothes please” Takamori looked at the crying girl.

 

“But –”

 

“It’s alright, she won’t do anything to you again, I promise.  My little girl is a fighter, but she would never lift a finger to hurt any of her family.”

 

Ushio nodded, and left the room, a smile on her face now.

 

“Ren, these are your cousins Sho” The angry one that had yelled at her right away.  He was tall like her father, the same dark hair, and tanned skin as well

 

“And this is Suko” The calm, and kind one.  Fujikaze couldn’t help but think he looked eerily similar to her.  Same jaw cut, same eye shape, same nose. “He is Ushios older brother, and your first cousin.  They are the children of my younger brother.”

 

“I didn’t know you had a brother” Fujikaze eyed her own father warily.

 

“There’s a lot you don’t know about your clan at all” Her father said, “But that was not my choice.  That was your grandmothers.  You were born to an Uchiha mother, therefore whatever other clan you could have been a part of meant nothing to her.”

 

“Shikaku said you were clanless.”

 

“That’s part of the story they made for me when I defected.  Look, Ren, I know you want to talk about this now, but wait until your cousin comes back with some fresh clothes. We’ll have dinner, and talk about this more.”

 

“Wait!” Fujikaze snapped before her father could leave the room.

 

“Where’s the rest of my team?”

 

“The shinobi you were with? They’re headed to Kumo right now, most likely to talk to the Raikage about your disappearance but we’ll intercept them before that happens.  I just wanted a chance to speak to you without the prying eyes, and ears of Konoha around.”

* * *

 

 

Fujikaze stared at her plate in unease surrounded by all these strangers with her name that she knew absolutely nothing about.  Her cousin had given her traditional Fujikaze Clan clothes it seemed.  A black sleeveless body suit covered with a red kimono top with open shoulders, tied tightly at the waist with a black belt, and knee length flaps hanging in the front, and the back baring the clan symbol of a cloud, and a gust of wind.

 

“Ren, are you alright?”

 

She looked to her father, he had made her sit at the head of the table with him, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that while her cousins, and aunts, and uncles ate their meal, and seemed to be talking amongst each other, that they were all watching her, and waiting for her to make a move.

 

“I’m… still trying to get my head around this.  I have all of this family here, and yet I never knew a thing about any of them.  Not to mention the fact that you kidnapped me from my team to… what? Have fucking dinner with you?”

 

Takamori sighed, and placed his chopsticks down on the table.

 

“We’ll talk now I guess” He said standing up.  The entire clan stopped what they were doing, and looked at her father “You may all continue eating, my daughter, and I need to speak privately.”

 

The entire clan went back to eating before as nothing had happened, and Fujikaze felt yet again more unease.

 

No clan hung on the actions, and words of their head that much.

 

“Come on” Her father smiled patiently at her.

 

She stood up, and wearily followed her father.  He led her outside to one of what seemed to be many gardens in the Fujikaze clan manor.  This particular one ended in a cliff side, give a fantastic view of a valley brimming with trees, and a beautiful lake as the sun set.

 

“How long has it been since I’ve seen you?” Takamori asked.

 

“Five years” Fujikaze replied tersely.

 

“You’ve grown into a fine woman, and a fine shinobi in that time.”

 

“I’m a jonin now.  I was given the rank after taking on a c rank mission by myself that ended up being an s rank.”

 

“I remember hearing about that.  You captured a wanted s rank fugitive, and stopped a coup in the land of fire isn’t that correct?”

 

Fujikaze nodded.

 

“I couldn’t be more proud of you Ren. You’ll make a fine clan head.”

 

“Excuse me?” She looked up at her father as he towered over her.

 

“That’s why I requested you come to Kumo.  I want you to be ready to take leadership of our clan.”

 

“I can’t do that” Fujikaze shook her head.

 

“And why not?” He father asked patiently.

 

“Because I am a shinobi of Konoha… and an Uchiha.”


	16. Chapter 16

The sun was setting as Kakashi led his genin through the mountains.  They were only a couple of miles out of Kumo now, and they’d be able to find assistance there.

 

Kakashi couldn’t stop worrying about Fujikaze.

 

The last time one of his teammates was taken on his watch… she had died.

 

But this time the stakes were higher.  This was the woman he cared about, and the woman he wanted to build a life with.

 

He stopped mid stride, and put his hand out to stop the kids.

 

“Wha –? Kakashi sensei what’s wrong?” Naruto called.

 

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, and grabbed his kunai throwing it at the tree just ahead of them.

 

It was that moment that the kunai was about to hit the tree a man came out of hiding.

 

“Well I should’ve expected that from Konoha’s copy ninja.” The man chuckled.

 

“Who are you, and why have you been following us?” Kakashi demanded.

 

“Wait, we were being followed?” Sakura asked looking around.

 

“Yes, and for quite a while I might add” The man said lowering his hood.  “I’m not here to harm you, I come on behalf of a concerned party.”

 

“Oh?” Kakashi asked “And who would that be?”

 

“The missing Fujikazes father.  Shes trapped in the family compound, and will be safe for now, but not for long.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean? Whats happening to Ren Sensei?” Naruto yelled “Take us to her now!”

 

“Naruto calm down” Kakashi said, his voice stern “Being angry, and yelling gets us nowhere.”

 

“You’d do well to listen to him, son” The man nodded at Kakashi “He’s got a good head on his shoulders.”

 

Kakashi looked back at the man, and took him in.  Older, maybe around Jiraiyas age, graying dark hair, and tired looking eyes.  Many scars, a shinobi worth is salt.  A possible enemy if things went wrong here.

 

“You say Ren’s father sent you?”

 

“Yes.  But this isn’t the place to talk about it. if you’ll follow me I’ll take you to the home of the Kakuzo clan.  Takamori is waiting there.”

 

“The Kakuzo clan? They’re the ones who attacked us on the boat aren’t they?” Sakura asked.

 

“They are” Kakashi said.

 

“A clever ploy by her father to try, and hopefully have you turn back.  Of course Ren being the girl she is wouldn’t turn back.”

 

“And how do you know anything about Ren?” Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the older man.  He wasn’t familiar to him.

 

“I’ve long kept an eye on the girl, from a distance, at her father’s request.”  The man shrugged “So if you’ll come along, we can get to saving the girl faster.”

* * *

 

 

“I need to find my team father, I’m sorry, I must go” Fujikaze shook her head as she turned to head back inside.

 

“Your team will be here soon, I’ve already sent Suko out to find them.” Takamori replied following his daughter back inside the manor.

 

“That’s not good enough.  I need… I need to get back to Sasuke.  He, and I are all we have left, you have to understand that at least.”

 

“You’re a Fujikaze before an Uchiha” Takamori pulled on his daughters wrist, she whirled on him, rage in her eyes clear as she yanked her wrist free.

 

“I am myself before I am any name! You would be wise to remember that father.  _I_ have the responsibility of being that boys one, and only family member left that he can count on.  I plan on not just abandoning him for what? A manor full of people I don’t even know, that I didn’t even know existed for my whole life?!”

 

“Ren…”

 

“And why do you want me to be clan head so badly?! There are other Fujikaze’s here that know these people, how they live their lives, how to be there for them!”

 

“Ren, that’s enough” Her father said levelly.  She glared at him.

 

“ _I_ say when it’s enough.  And I’ve had enough of being here.”\

 

Takamori sighed before he turned his gaze back to his daughter, now cold, and calculating.

 

“I should’ve listened when they said that you were a headstrong girl, and hard to deal with.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“It means, that I’m not your father you little bitch, and you’ll do as I say if you want you, and your team to make it out of this country alive.”

 

Fujikaze narrowed her eyes at the man

 

“And just who the fuck are you, and why do you look exactly like my father?”

 

“I’m your father’s twin brother.  Your uncle Yamada.”

 

In a split second Fujikaze had her Mangekyo activated, and was staring her uncle down.

 

“I don’t know why you’re impersonating my father, and frankly I don’t care to know.  What I do know is that you’re going to pay for all of this trouble you’ve caused.”

 

Yamada smirked, and it was chilling how dead, and uncaring his eyes were.

 

“You’re a pawn on my chess board Ren.  Don’t think I haven’t taken the proper precautions.”

 

“What’s that mean?” She growled backing away.  It was in that moment she felt her whole body start to feel light, like she was swaying, her vision turned double as she stared her uncle down.

 

“Your food was poisoned you idiot.  And for putting your hands on my daughter earlier, you’ll pay for it.  I promise.  You’ll have a little surprise when you wake up.”

 

Fujikaze collapsed to the floor.

 

“Sho!” Yamada called.

 

The young shinobi shunshined beside Yamada.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Take Ren downstairs, and have Ushio get the seals ready.  We can’t take chances with this girl.”

 

“She’s just a girl” Sho grunted as he lifted Fujikazes body into his arms.

 

“She’s one of the most accomplished shinobi in her village. She’s a danger.”

 

“You’re paranoid uncle.”

 

“I’m sorry?” Yamada growled looking his nephew right in the eyes.  Sho felt it then.  The killing intent radiating from his uncle, and clan head.  He knew then that he’d fucked up.

 

“Sorry.  I’ll take care of this right away.”

 

“You’d better.”

* * *

 

 

 

“In here” The cloaked man said pushing a sliding door open.  It had taken a couple extra hours of traveling to reach their destination in a neighboring mountain range to where the Fujikaze compound supposedly was.

 

“I’m beat! Can we get some sleep yet?” Naruto yawned followed by a loud ‘Ow’ as Sakura hit him particularly hard on the back of the head.

 

“Idiot! Who cares about sleep right now, we have to save Ren Sensei!” She snapped.

 

“He’s right little lady” The cloaked man smiled softly at the kids, reminded in that moment of three young brothers who acted much the same way. “You kids need to get some rest, while your sensei, and I talk some more.  Your rooms are right down that hall.”

 

Sakura, and Naruto headed down the hall with no questions, but Sasuke remained.

 

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to see my uncle” Sasuke said looking at the cloaked man.

 

“Ah.  Right.  I suppose Takamori is your uncle isn’t he.  It’s always weird.  When clans intermarry like that.”

 

The two men shared a look, and Kakashi nodded at the older man.

 

“Sure kid, you can come.”

 

“Who are you by the way? You never told us your name” Kakashi finally spoke.

 

“Me? I’m Takuma.  Youngest of the three Fujikaze brothers.”

* * *

 

 

“Sasuke.  You’ve gotten big” The dark skinned man smiled, and he seemed so much older than Sasukes memories now.  Of the man who would play with him, and his cousin in the yard. 

 

“It has been five years” Sasuke shrugged.

 

“You, and your cousin” Takamori chuckled “Always so sassy.”

 

“Brother, this is –”

 

“No need.  He’s the copy ninja of Konoha, and from what you’ve told me… the man who has captured my little girls heart.  Is that correct?”

 

Kakashi was taken aback for a moment.  This was never a thing he thought would ever happen in his relationship with Fujikaze considering up until just now… neither of them had any parents to meet.

 

Now here he was face to face with her father.

 

Talk about terrifying.

 

“Uh… yes… sir.  That… would be me.”

 

“No need to be nervous son, between you, and me from what Takuma has told me of the other men that she’s seen, you’re the only one I like so far.”

 

Kakashi felt a weight lift off his chest.

 

“It’s nice to officially meet you” Takamori held out of his hand, and Kakashi took it expecting to just shake hands, but caught off guard when he was pulled into a bear hug with a hearty back slap.

 

“Though I wish this meeting was under better circumstances” Takamori sighed letting Kakashi go.

 

“As do I” He responded placing his hands in his pockets.

 

“So what’s going on?” Sasuke cut to the chase “Why was Ren taken, and why did you disappear?”

 

“There’s a lot that has been going on with the Fujikaze clan since before I left Konoha.  When I defected I did it under the impression that I would never come back to my homeland.  But then Takuma found me, and told me what my brother has done to our clan.”

 

“And what would that be?” Kakashi asked.

 

Takamori motioned for them all to take a seat around the table in the middle of the room where Takamori had scrolls upon scrolls open, and taking up space.

 

“He’s found a sealing jutsu of sorts, and has used it to enslave our own clan to follow his orders.  It’s a mind control technique similar to the Yamanaka’s mind transfer expect this is a seal that is placed on the body that forcers the bearer to do the users bidding.  I’ve spent the last couple years trying to find a way to reverse the seal.”

 

“And?” Kakashi asked.

 

“No luck” Takuma sighed “I barely escaped Yamada having the seal put on me, that’s why I went to find Takamori.  We’ve both tried infiltrating the manor to find his research but every time was a failure.  Cousins, and aunts, and uncles now look at us like we’re monsters… even my own son…”

 

“So how do we save Ren?” Sasuke asked.  Takamori had to take a moment to appreciate his nephew’s commitment to saving his older cousin, who was practically his older sister.  He never knew that they had grown so close.

 

“We’ll have to storm the manor, and just take her.  It’s the only way” Takuma shook his head.

 

“Easy brother, there are safer ways to get her back” Takamori said.

 

“And how so?” Takuma looked at his brother skeptically.

 

“We lure them out, with something they want.  Offer to make an exchange” Kakashi offered.

 

“The only thing our brother wants is the two of us under his control.  He wants absolute control of our clan” Takuma scoffed.

 

“And why?” Kakashi asked “Surely there is something more than that driving him to do this.”

 

“He never awoken our clans Kekkei Genkai.  I once got a look at the scrolls he had in the study.  It was sealing techniques that would be used to transfer one technique to another.” Takamori offered.

 

“He could be trying to steal the technique of our clan from anyone of its members that has it.” Takuma added.

 

“Then why from either of you, why not anyone else?” Kakashi asked.  He was getting close to a dangerous truth he didn’t want to admit.

 

“That’s true.  He could have taken it from Sho, or his own children.” Takuma said.

 

“What if he’s changed his sights from your clan technique to another.  To Ren’s Sharingan?” It was out there now, and it chilled Kakashi to his core to say it.  To say that Fujikaze was in more danger than any of them could have predicted.

 

Except her.

 

Once this was over he was going to get the biggest ‘I told you so’ ever.

 

Takamori stood instantly “We need to get to the manor, and now.  If I know my little girl, I know she’s seen through the lies, and is in more danger than we could have predicted.”

 

“Relax brother, we’ve already come this far, we can’t do anything further tonight” Takuma stood placing a comforting hand on his shoulder “Our guests have traveled a long way, and they need to rest, and so do we if we’re going to save anyone.”

 

Takamori sighed, and rubbed his temple “You’re right brother.”

 

“Then we’ll leave at sunrise” Kakashi said standing up “Come on Sasuke, we should get some rest.”

 

Both Konoha shinobi left the room.

 

“For the record” Takuma looked at his brother “That is by far the best boyfriend she’s ever had.”

 

Takamori chuckled.  “I can tell.  He’s very… driven.”

* * *

 

 

Fujikaze awoke to a splitting headache, feeling weak, and sick to her stomach.  She tried to sit up but was immediately hit with a case of the spins that threatened to bring up whatever was in her stomach.

 

“Good you’re awake.”

 

“Yamada” She growled.

 

“Easy there little girl.  You’re in no position to do anything to me.”

 

“When I get out of here” She looked up at him “And I will get out of here, you’ll regret this.”

 

“And what are you going to do to me? Certainly you can feel it.  Somethings not quite… right with your chakra yes?”

 

The look on his face was positively chilling.

 

But he was right.  Fujikaze felt off.  She tried to feel for it, to mold chakra, but she couldn’t make it happen.  It was like it wasn’t even there.

 

“What did you do to me?” She growled, trying for all her might to activate her Sharingan but to no avail.  The switch wouldn’t flip.  Her eyes were just normal.

 

“I’ve sealed your chakra.  That way until I’m ready for what I have in store for you, you won’t be able to hurt anyone.  You’re useless.”

 

“I’ll show you useless.  I don’t need chakra to be dangerous.” Fujikaze finally managed to sit up, only to realize was stuck behind bars in a cold dark room.

 

“You’ll have to get out first.  So trust me dear niece.  I’m not worried one bit about you.”

 

“You should be” Fujikaze said narrowing her eyes at the man who called himself her uncle.  The stranger with her fathers face.  “Because when I get out of here, and I _will_ get out of here, chakra or no chakra; I’ll end you.”

 

“We’ll see about that” Yamada gave one last chilling smile before he turned his back, and walked away from Fujikazes cell.

 

“Well…” She said looking around, trying to find any way of getting out, and to safety only to find none. 

 

 

“Shit.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting towards the end of this little arc

“Don’t you think that’s a little… I don’t know… not smart?” A voice in the dark asked, watching as Fujikaze pulled on the metal bars of the cell door.  They were held in place by wood, and the wood was damp from the cellar.  If she could just pull hard enough she could yank a few bars out, and slip through. 

 

But the voice caught her off guard, and she stopped; watching the darkness as her cousin Suko emerged from the shadows.

 

“Its just you” She clicked her tongue, and went back to yanking on the bars.

 

“Just me? I’d suggest stopping that before I have to do something.”

 

She gave him the most terrifying look he’d ever seen from anyone in his entire life.

 

“And just what the fuck are you going to do to me?”

 

“Father said that you’re dangerous.  With or without chakra.”

 

“He’s right” Fujikaze grunted yanking hard.  She felt the wood splinter at the top of the bar.

 

“But I don’t want to stop you.”

 

That piqued Fujikaze’s interest.

 

“Oh?” She asked stopping to stare at her cousin. “And why’s that?”

 

“Because my father must be stopped.”

 

“And why haven’t any of you tried stopping him before?”

 

Suko walked over to the door, and slid off his black flak jacket to reveal his shoulder.  There was a seal.

 

“What the fuck is that?” Fujikaze demanded.

 

“My father has had seals put on every member of the clan.  If we do not listen, if we lash out, he activates them, and we lose our free will until he sees fit to return it.  If ever.”

 

“So if you try anything…”

 

“I cease to exist.”

 

“That’s rough.”

 

“Tell me about it.”

 

“So that’s why you won’t stop me? You want me to stop him?” Fujikaze asked, hands on her hips.

 

“That’s the idea” Suko replied putting his flak jacket back on.

 

“I have no chakra.”

 

“I thought you said you didn’t need it?” Suko folded his arms.

 

“Oh I don’t” Fujikaze replied “It’d just be easier.  And more fun for me to kill the bastard if I did.”

 

“I didn’t say kill my father, I just asked you to stop him.”

 

“Well if I get my hands on him, I can’t be held responsible for what I do.  When I get angry enough… I kind of just white out” Fujikaze explained “And I can’t be responsible for my actions when I get like that.”

 

“And this makes you angry enough? You’re a ninja.  Getting captured by the enemy kind of comes with the territory from time to time.”

 

“Oh honey, I don’t get captured.  I’m too good at what I do to let some idiots get the jump on me.”

 

“And yet…” Suko gave her a look.

 

“Shut it.  This doesn’t count.”

 

“Doesn’t it though?”

 

“Look are you gonna keep fucking sassing me, or are you going to help me out of here?”

 

“I mean it’s a lot more fun for me to sass you” Suko shrugged, and Fujikaze shot her hand out through the cell bars faster than Suko could process, and yanked him against the cell bars.

 

“Help” yank. “Me” yank. “Out” yank. “Of here” yank.

 

She let go, and Suko stumbled backwards falling to the floor.

 

“Holy shit.” He groaned rubbing his face.  His hand came away bloody.  “You broke my nose!”

 

“And that’s what happens when you fucking sass me!” She snapped “Now let me the fuck out!”

 

“Fucking bitch.” Suko groaned standing up, and walking to the back of the room where the keys hung on the hook.

 

“By the way I didn’t break your nose, it’s just a cut.”

 

“Still fucking hurts” Suko huffed walking back to the cell door.

 

“Pussy” Fujikaze replied.

 

“You know…” Suko glared at her holding the key just away from the lock.

 

“Oh for fucks sake” Fujikaze rolled her eyes “You want me to do it again? Cause I’ll do it again.”

 

Suko, and Fujikaze stared each other down for a moment before he caved, and put the key in the lock.

 

“For the record, I’m doing this because I want to.  Not because you scare me.”

 

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.  Pussy.”

 

The door opened, and Fujikaze stepped out, and looked up at her cousin.

 

“You really do want me to stop your father huh?”

 

“I want to stop my father for the sake of our clan.  He’s hurt, and betrayed all of us.  His mad quest for power needs to end.”

 

“That’s why I was lured here then? For him to find more power?”

 

“My father wants your eyes.”

 

“And how did anyone in this clan, let alone Kumo ever come to know that I had the Sharingan?”

 

“News of it spread pretty fast considering that the whole world knows the whole Uchiha clan was massacred, and only one kid survived.  But it looks like there was two.”

 

“Well to be fair I didn’t even know I had a Sharingan until a few months ago.”

 

“Ah.  So you were never able to awaken our clans kekkei genkai?”

 

“Our clan has a kekkei genkai?”

 

“Our name, Fujikaze, means ‘Strong gust of wind’.  It comes from our clans technique.”

 

“And what is it?” Fujikaze asked folding her arms.

 

“Well… essentially we can bend the winds to our bidding.  Be it creating storms to cover our tracks, or to make tornados to attack our enemies, or any number of ways we can use the wind.”

 

“Seriously?”

 

“What?”

 

“I don’t know isn’t that a little… extra?”

 

“Says the woman with copy cat eyes.”

 

“You know…”

* * *

 

 

The sun hadn’t even broken yet but Kakashi was up, and getting ready.  He hadn’t been able to sleep more than a few hours.  There were more pressing things on his mind.  _Ren missing, lost on his watch, needed to find her, needed to find her now_.

 

“Kakashi Sensei?”

 

He turned to see Naruto up, and ready to go.

 

“You’re up early” Kakashi noted.

 

Naruto shrugged “Couldn’t sleep.  I was worried about Ren Sensei.”

 

Kakashi’s shoulders dropped, losing some of the tension that had been there.  That was right.  He wasn’t the only one concerned for Fujikaze.  All of his – _their_ – students were worried as well.

 

“No need to worry Naruto.  We’re going to get her today.”

 

“What do you think we’ll find in there?” Naruto asked abruptly.  Kakashi turned back to face Naruto.

 

“What do you mean?” Kakashi asked, his curiosity getting the better of him even as scenarios had been running through his head since Fujikaze had gone missing.

 

“Ren Sensei will be ok yeah? They wouldn’t have done anything to really hurt her right?” Naruto looked shockingly serious in that moment.  More grown up than Kakashi had ever seen him.  He was proud; if not a little worried for how the knuckle heads temper might get to him if things didn’t go right today.

 

“I never knew you cared so much about Ren Sensei” Kakashi said, genuinely surprised.

 

“Well yeah.  She’s our teacher too isn’t she? She’s part of our team, and she’s like Sasukes big sister, which kind of makes her like my big sister.” Naruto shrugged.

 

Kakashi smiled, and ruffled Naruto’s hair.

 

“Well you can tell Ren Sensei that when we see her.  I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear you say that.”

 

Naruto beamed at his sensei, but Kakashi couldn’t get that pit of unease out of his stomach.

* * *

 

 

“I need this fucking seal off, and I need it off now” Fujikaze sighed rubbing at the seal on her shoulder.  The one currently keeping her from using any form of chakra.

 

“Just keep quiet so I can get you out of here.” Suko rolled his eyes looking at his cousin over his shoulder.

 

He had to admit.  It was frightening how much he, and she were alike.  Frightening, and a little comforting.  They were just alike from the nose right down to the short bitten finger nails.  They shared the same nervous habit it seemed.

 

No wonder they didn’t get along well.

 

They were too much alike.

 

“Brother?”

 

“Oh shit” Suko, and Fujikaze sighed in unison.  They turned to find Ushio standing behind them in the long narrow hallway of the manor.

 

She was a pretty girl, long dark hair pulled into an elegant bun, wearing a beautiful kimono emblazoned with the clan symbol.  She looked nothing like the scared nervous girl Fujikaze had met earlier.  She looked angry, and a little terrifying.

 

“Suko, what are you doing?” She demanded.

 

“Ushio please, I’m just –”

 

“Just betraying our clan?” Ushio demanded

 

“She _is_ our clan.  And she needs to be saved before Father does something to her!” Suko argued. “He needs to be stopped before anything happens to _us_.”

 

“Father won’t hurt us if we just listen” Ushio sighed in frustration.

 

“Why can’t you just listen? Why can’t you see that what he’s doing is hurting us all!”

 

“I can!” Ushio snapped “I’m just not stupid enough to act out, and get myself put in danger, unlike you!”

 

“Look” Fujikaze interrupted coming between the siblings “But right now in the middle of the manor maybe isn’t the place –”

 

“Shut up!” Ushio snapped.

 

Fujikaze gave her the look.  She wasn’t in any particular mood to be told to shut up right now.

 

“Don’t tell her to shut up, she’s the only one who can see the horror going on here!” Suko yelled.

 

“Maybe she can, but she can’t do anything about it unless I remove that seal, and I should put one on you too until you stop being an idiot!” Ushio yelled back. 

 

Fujikaze grabbed her by the collar of her kimono, and slammed her into the wall.

 

“Take this seal off, or so help me, I’ll –”

 

“You’ll what? Hurt me?” Ushio laughed “All you shinobi are the same.  You’re nothing without your chakra!”

 

Fujikaze stared the girl down for a moment before she grabbed her wrist, and twisted hard enough for Ushio to cry out in pain.

 

“Don’t even try me” Fujikaze growled “You think this hurts? Just imagine if I was trying!”

 

Fujikaze let Ushio go, and the girl crumpled to the ground cradling her wrist, and staring at her cousin in wide eyed anger.

 

“Now take this seal off of me” Fujikaze looked down at the girl, the look in her eyes could only be described as pure murderous intent.

 

Ushio stared at her cousin, and brother for a moment contemplating her options of what to do.  So she screamed.

 

“Goddamnit” Fujikaze sighed relaxing her posture.  She had hoped being scary, and intimidating would have worked.  It usually did. 

 

“We have to go, now!” Suko yelled grabbing Fujikazes wrist, and pulling her along.

 

They raced through the manor being stopped at every possible turn, and exit by clan members.

 

“Shit!” Suko yelled leading Fujikaze out to the garden where she had spoken with Yamada just the night before.

 

“You really thought you could escape?” Yamada called entering the garden, the way back into the manor blocked by clan members.  Fujikaze, and Suko turned to face Yamada, backing away towards the cliff edge.

 

“And my own son? Really?  I thought you were done with the stupid attempts Suko.”

 

“You need to be stopped, and we’ll stop you.”

 

“How? You’re backed into a corner with nowhere to go” Yamada chuckled, and turned his gaze to Fujikaze “I can’t wait to pluck those eyes right out of your head.”

 

“Put your hands on me, and I’ll rip them off” Fujikaze growled.

 

“So much anger… just like your father” Yamada shook his head, looking much like the imposing villain in that moment, his whole clan behind him waiting to move on the traitors before them.

 

Suko looked at the cliff behind him.  The drop led into a valley full of trees, the lake was enshrouded in fog, and there seemed to be a storm rolling in.  They could easily cover their tracks in the valley.  They would just have to survive the fall.

 

“Do you trust me?” Suko asked, looking at Fujikaze.

 

“Uh… not really” She shrugged.

 

“Good enough for me” Suko pulled Fujikaze into his chest, and moved them closer to the edge.

 

“Hey, whoa wait, Suko, what’re you doing?” Fujikaze demanded “Suko?”

 

He tipped over the edge, taking her with.

* * *

 

 

 

The falling was terrifying, but the landing was the worst part.  Suko used as much chakra as he could to slow their descent, but the two shinobi still crashed through the trees hitting branches until they landed hard on the ground.

 

They laid there for a bit Suko panting staring up at the path their fall made through the trees, Fujikaze laying on her stomach next to him trying to catch her breath as well.  One of those crashes had really knocked the wind out of her.

 

“I could go for never doing that again” Fujikaze finally spoke, barely any wind in her.

 

“Agreed” Suko groaned sitting up finally.

 

Fujikaze attempted to sit up, but cried in pain holding her side.

 

“You good?” Suko asked.

 

“I think I have a busted rib.”

 

“Probably, that was a hard fall” Suko shrugged.

 

“And whose fault was that?!” Fujikaze glared at her cousin.

 

“… I mean –”

 

“No! I don’t want to hear it! We need to get moving.”

 

Suko scoffed “And go where exactly?”

 

“Uh Kumo.  Where we can go to a hospital, get this fucking seal removed, and hopefully find my team, then we can come back, and deal with this bullshit.”

 

“…That’s actually a decent plan” Suko sighed.

 

“Yeah, kinda my thing, now help me up” Fujikaze held out her hand.

* * *

 

 

“Change of plans” Takuma announced returning to the meet up spot just a couple miles away from the Fujikaze compound.  Gathered were team seven, a few members of the Kakuzo clan, and the Fujikaze brothers.

 

“What do you mean?” Takamori asked.

 

“Suko, and Ren escaped.  They jumped off the garden cliff, and now the clan is searching the valley.”

 

“They jumped off the cliff?” Takamori shouted “I’m going to wring that boys neck!”

 

“Don’t jump to conclusions uncle” Sasuke spoke, arms folded “Ren is also stupid enough to think jumping off a cliff is a good idea.”

 

“… Fair enough.”

 

“If they fell into the valley we need to cover ground quick to find them.  They could be injured.” Kakashi spoke as he pulled out his kunai to cut his thumb.

 

“Kakashi Sensei –” Sakura tried to ask, but was cut off by the puff of smoke that cleared to reveal Kakashis ninken.

 

“Boss, what can we do for you?” Pakkun asked.

 

“Oh man, this guy again” Naruto sighed arms crossed behind his head.

 

“Ren is missing in the valley, we’re going to split up into teams to search for her.” Kakashi explained.

 

“The Boss Lady?” Pakkun asked shocked “Say no more, we’re on it.”

 

That pit of unease continued to grow in Kakashis stomach.  Fujikaze was missing in the valley, possibly injured or worse.

 

He needed to find her.

 

Now.


	18. Chapter 18

Racing through the valley following Pakkun, Kakashi was quickly closing in on Fujikaze while everyone else had split off with his other ninken to search the valley, and fight off whatever stray Fujikaze clan members were in the valley also searching.  It was the smartest move to ensure Fujikazes safe recovery.

 

“We have to hurry” Pakkun spoke.

 

“Why?” Kakashi asked keeping pace with the pug.

 

“I can smell a storm rolling in.  It’s going to be big, and I don’t want to lose the scent to the rain.”

 

“Got it” Kakashi nodded forcing more chakra to his feet, moving faster.  Pakkun could barely keep up.

 

“Boss” The pug huffed coming neck, and neck with Kakashi again “I understand you’re worried about the Boss Lady, but we’ll find her.  You should relax.”

 

“I am relaxed Pakkun.  And I’ll be even more relaxed once Ren is ok.”

 

“I haven’t seen you this way about a girl in… ever” Pakkun noted.

 

“Oh?” Kakashi asked, a good natured chuckle following “Why? Are you jealous you won't get as much attention?”

 

“No, that’s not it.  Boss Lady gives us all attention when we see her, she gives the _best_ ear scratches, you just want to –”

 

“What’s your point Pakkun?”

 

“She’s part of the pack isn’t she? Your scents are all over each other.”

 

“I… suppose that would make her part of the pack.” Kakashi agreed.

 

“Well some of the boys are wondering when we can expect a pup.”

 

This is the moment where if Kakashi had been drinking anything he would’ve done a spit take.

 

“I think it’s a little too soon for any of you to be thinking like that.”

 

“With all due respect Boss, you’ve been sniffing after the girl for years.  Sending us to make sure she would get home safe, watching out for her when she never knew.  Always at her bar, smelling like alcohol” Pakkun snorted in disgust at the last one.

 

And Pakkun was right.  Kakashi had been interested in Fujikaze for quite a while.  It had started years ago on the mission that had earned Fujikaze her promotion to jonin.  Him a hardened anbu captain dispatched to the lands of a local fire daimyo, her a carefree chuunin on what was supposed to be a routine proctection mission that ended up earning her her jonin title almost eight years ago.  He had been about to intercept her when she began her fight with the S Rank Criminal Kino.  A missing nin from the village hidden in the mist.  Both women had nearly killed each other their fight had been so vicious.  But Kakashi stepped in at the right moment.  His partner for the mission taking care to get Kino medical attention, and then to prison.  Kakashi had taken it upon himself to make sure Fujikaze was taken care of.  She never knew it had been him behind the mask.  Or maybe she did, and she never said anything.  Fujikaze had always been a smart girl, and after returning from that mission, and receiving her promotion she had always treated Kakashi more… friendly then.  Or maybe it had been his imagination putting everyone in the village against him.  He was the friend killer, people steered clear.  But never her, maybe she had always just been that caring, and he too blind to see through his own anger.  And never Asuma when he thought back to it, thankful for them both.

 

“Look, mine, and Rens relationship is our business Pakkun, and she and I will talk about those sorts of things when the time is right.” Kakashi said with finality.

 

“We’re all a pack, Boss.  It’s our relationship too.”

 

Kakashi hated when that little dog was right.  Too smart for his own good.

* * *

 

 

They stood in the clearing surrounded by five clan members, Fujikaze hardly able to breath right with her broken rib, let alone fight.  Suko could feel the shifts in the winds, and looked up to the sky as it darkened.  The storm was moving in fast.

 

“Give me a kunai” Fujikaze held her hand behind her.

 

“You shouldn’t fight like this –”

 

“Well too fucking bad, I don’t really have much of a choice right now, do I?”

 

Suko sighed, and handed her a kunai. She dropped her hand from holding her side where it was most painful, and charged.

 

“Goddamnit Ren!” Suko yelled.  Did this woman not think before she attacked?

 

Suko jumped back quickly as too clan members descended on him.

 

They fought.  Fujikaze soundly beating the three nin that had tried, and failed to take her down, further proving she was just as dangerous without her chakra, but Suko was struggling.  Fujikaze threw her kunai landing it right in the neck of the clan member that had been coming up behind Suko.  He stared at the body shocked, before looking to Fujikaze.

 

“Thank me later, focus first” She called.

 

Suko turned back to his fight just in time to block an attack, he jumoed back, and made hand seals.

 

“Lightning strike!” a shot of lightning came straight from the sky, and his the final attacker.  He crumpled to the ground smoking.

 

Slowly the rain began to fall around them as Fujikaze met Suko in the middle of the clearing, holding her side again.

 

“You ok?” She asked

 

“Yeah… just… wish we didn’t have to kill them.”

 

“I know, but that’s how these things go.  We kill or get killed.” She said placing a hand on his shoulder.

 

“How… old were you, when you killed your first enemy?” Suko asked, more than a little distressed at how easy this all seemed to be for Fujikaze.

 

“I entered the ninja academy when I was five.  I graduated when I was six, and shortly after went on my first mission as part of the third shinobi war” She shrugged “It was kill or be killed then too.”

 

Suko shook his head “Konoha, and its damn child soldiers.  That’s why you leaf shinobi are all crazy strong.”

 

Fujikaze shrugged again “Maybe.  Why did you ask how old I was?”

 

“Because… this was the first time I’ve ever killed someone.”

 

Fujikaze sighed again, and squeezed Sukos shoulder.

 

“It’s… very damning the first time, especially if it’s family, but its just how being a shinobi is.  Death comes, and it takes when it sees fit.”

 

Suko opened his mouth to speak, to thank her for her comfort but before he could she was tackled to the ground.

 

It was Sho.

 

He mounted Fujikazes waist, and began to pummel left, and right while she tried to block as many hits as she could.

 

“Sho! Get off her, she’s helping us!” Suko yelled, but when his cousin turned to look at him, his eyes were dull, and lifeless.  Yamada had activated his seal.

 

“Shit” Suko hissed as his cousin got up, and stared him down with a dead eyed stare.

 

“Sho, c’mon man, you’ve got to be in there” Suko called backing up.

 

Sho began to charge.

 

Fujikaze was on his back instantly, trying to stop his charge.  Suko stared in shock.  She didn’t give up, and she didn’t stay down.  Just what the fuck was this woman made out of?

 

“What’re you waiting for?” Fujikaze snapped “Fucking help me!”

 

Suko broke out of his trance, and rushed to help just as Sho grabbed Fujikaze by her shoulders off his back, and threw her.  Suko raced to catch her, skidding through the clearing as he caught her.

 

“You ok?” Fujikaze asked.  Here she was getting thrown around, no chakra, nothing to help her, and she was still concerned about him.  Suko couldn’t quite understand it.  That kind of selflessness.

 

“I’m fine.  What do we do? We can’t kill him he’s…”

 

“It’s kill, or be killed Suko” Fujikaze reminded as they got up.

 

“But his seals activated, he’s not doing this because he wants to.  He would never hurt me, or you.”

 

Fujikaze sighed staring down the mindless shinobi that seemed to be waiting for them.

 

“Do you have any wire? And not trip wire either, the kind you would use to restrain an enemy.”

 

“You’re going to restrain him?” Suko looked at her shocked.  Sho was twice her size, but Suko handed her the wire from his tool pouch anyway.

 

“You distract.  I’ve got this, trust me.  Just keep him focused on you.”

 

“You want me to trust you, but you don’t trust me?” Suko raised an eyebrow at her.

 

“In my defense you made us jump off a cliff.”

 

“… Fair enough.”

 

“Remember.  Distract.”

* * *

 

 

“Up ahead, in that clearing” Pakkun announced.

 

“Got it” Kakashi nodded.  The trees cleared, and finally Kakashi could see her.  And two others in the clearing fighting.  The larger man was on the offensive, the smaller blocking the hits but not fighting back.  Kakashi was ready to head down, and help until he saw Fujikaze circling around the larger man to come up behind him, launching herself on to the larger man, one leg over his shoulder, the other knee pressing into his back to hold herself upright.  He could see the wire looped around her hands, and brought the wire tight around the mans throat.  He tried to throw her off but couldn’t get out of Fujikazes grasp.

 

The rain began to fall harder as the man toppled to the ground; Fujikaze unwrapped her legs from around the man and stood up, breathing heavily, clearly pained.

 

“Ren” Kakashi called.

 

She looked up into the trees, and grinned.

 

“Well hey there stranger” She called “Fancy seeing you here.”

 

Just as Kakashi, and Pakkun were about the join them in the clearing, the ninken smelt something off.

 

“Boss, somethings –”

 

He was cut off as a huge gust of wind blew through the valley so strong that Kakashi couldn’t move or he’d risk being blown away, Fujikaze went flying into the forest as the wind blew unhindered through the clearing, while Suko hunkered down with chakra.

 

The gust seemed to last forever before finally dying down.  Kakashi met the young man in the clearing.

 

“Where is Ren?” Kakashi demanded, as he, and Suko looked around.

 

“I… I don’t know.”

 

“What the hell was that?” Kakashi demanded.  Fujikaze may have been fighting with this man, but that didn’t mean anything to Kakashi right now.  She’d been right there.  He had finally found her.  And she was gone again.

 

“It was my father.”

 

“You father?”

 

“Yamada Fujikaze. He’s –”

 

“In the valley”

 

Both men turned to see Takamori standing before them.

 

“That was his chakra, and his technique.  He did it to separate Ren from us.  We have to split up, and search, she can’t be far.”

 

“Yes uncle.” Suko nodded, ready to head off in search, but Takamori grabbed him before he could go.

 

“Suko… you did a good job protecting your cousin, and getting her out of there. I’m proud of you.”

 

Suko smiled, and nodded.

 

 “I can smell her scent, it goes east, and I can smell three others with her.” Pakkun announced

 

“Let’s go” Takamori nodded at Kakashi.

 

All three shinobi took off again, continuing their search.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so, our time in the Land of Lightning finally comes to an end

“Put me the fuck down!” Fujikaze yelled pounding on the back of the Fujikaze clan member carrying her over his shoulder.  Yamada was in the middle of the formation, and the clan member holding her was on the left, and another to the right of Yamada.

 

“Stop trying to fight Ren.  We wouldn’t want you to get dropped now would we?” Yamada looked at her with a sick gleam in his eyes.

 

She’d take being dropped over this anytime.

 

She bit the ear of the clan member holding her, he screamed, and dropped her.

 

Falling through the trees this time was almost worse than when she had fallen from the cliff.  The drop was half the distance, but she was going faster due to the speed at which the shinobi had been traveling.

 

She braced herself for a hard landing as she crashed through the trees.  She landed hard, and she swore this time she really heard something crack but she didn’t have time to think about it.  Winded she got up, and started stumbling away trying to stand straight, and catch her breath.  She managed to get a good distance away before she heard something whizzing through the air, a kunai embedded into the back of her shoulder, and she fell against a tree with a cry.

 

“What did I say about being dropped, Ren?”

 

She looked behind her to see her uncle standing there with the two clan members on either side of him.

 

She just wanted this to end.

 

She grabbed the handle of the kunai, and yanked it from her shoulder, and turned to face her uncle.

 

“What did I say about you regretting fucking with me?” She snapped back.

 

“You’re in absolutely no position to fight back, and you know it” Yamada responded.

 

And he was right.

 

But she was still going to try.

 

She held the kunai in front of her defensively.  It was all she had, and she hoped it was all she needed watching as the two clan members flanking Yamada started approaching her.

 

Before they could come any closer the clan member on the left was tackled into the woods by a familiar figure, and in front of the one on the right stood Kakashi. 

 

And finally the third landed in front of her.  Her father.

 

“Sorry it took so long to catch up Ren, but I’m here now” Her father looked at her over his shoulder, and was immediately filled with rage at the condition of his daughter.  She was battered, bruised, and bloody.

 

“Dad?”

 

“Don’t worry princess, I’m here to end this.”

 

“This will only end with your death, Takamori!” Yamada yelled at his older twin brother.  His temper was getting the best of him.

 

“Kakashi, get Ren out of here.  I can handle my brother, and his puppets.”

 

“Puppets is such a cruel way to refer to family don’t you think?” Yamada called, that ugly smirk on his face.

 

“Puppets is what they are so long as they have those seals on them!  Look at Takumas son for fucks sake” Takamori yelled, referring to the young man still unconscious in the clearing miles back.

 

“Don’t blame that on me, your daughter did that to him!”

 

“Out of self defense you fucking child!”

 

“Child? I’m not the one swearing at you!”

 

“And I’m not the one who destroyed our family cause they had a temper tantrum over fathers will!”

 

“Uh… dad” Fujikaze called “I don’ think arguing is the best thing to do considering.”

 

“Right, right.  Sorry.  Your uncle just fucking irritates me to no end” Takamori glared at his brother.

 

“I see where your mouth comes from” Kakashi noted looking back at Fujikaze.  She smirked at him.

 

“It runs in the family.”

 

“Kakashi, get her out of her” Takamori ordered again “It’s going to get bad.”

 

“They aren’t going anywhere.  Jun is already fighting Suko in the woods.  Ito, attack” Yamada nodded at the man standing in front of Kakashi.  Kakashi, and Ito moved faster than Fujikaze could keep up with without her Sharingan, they disappeared into the forest after Suko, and Jun.

 

Fujikaze was left in the woods with her father, and her uncle.

 

“One traitor, and his useless daughter.  This is too easy” Yamada chuckled darkly.

 

“Just cause I don’t have chakra doesn’t mean I’m useless” Fujikaze stepped forward, and doubled due to the pain from her ribs.

 

“Ren hang back” Takamori ordered.

 

“But dad –”

 

“No buts.  You’ve done enough fighting since you got here.  I’ll protect you, I promise.”

 

Fujikaze couldn’t argue.  She was in too much pain, but held the kunai in her hand more tightly.

* * *

 

 

The fight was more than hard.  She could hear Suko, and Kakashi fighting close by, but her father was struggling to keep up with Yamada.  And Fujikaze knew it was because he was worried about her.  She was making him weak.

 

“Dad, stop worrying about me, and actually fight him!” Fujikaze yelled at her father.  He and Yamada stood facing each other, Takamori looking haggard, and tired.  Yamada looked for all the world bored.

 

“Listen to your daughter, brother.  You can’t keep fighting like this, it’s getting us nowhere.”

 

“For once in your miserable life, you’re right Yamada.  This is getting us nowhere.”  Takamori agreed. “But you’re also a fucking idiot who doesn’t pay attention to his surroundings.”

 

“What?”

 

A paper bomb Takamori had stuck to a tree right above Yamadas head went off.  There was smoke, and debris everywhere but before Fujikaze knew it she was scooped up into her father’s arms, and being carried away from the fighting.

 

“We’ll lose him quick.  We’re close to Kumo, and I just have to get you there” Takamori spoke quickly, but Fujikaze could tell, her father was exhausted, and worried.

 

“Dad…”

 

“Don’t worry about your old man Ren.  I’ve been in worse, and come out just fine” He grinned at her, that same stupid toothy grin that Fujikaze gave people when she was less than confidant, but didn’t want them to worry.

 

She got it from her father.

 

“I know.  Doesn’t mean I can’t worry about you.”

 

“I know Princess, and I swear when this is all over, we’re gonna finally sit down, and talk, and… and figure this out you know?”

 

“Stop talking like you’re going to die” She tried to laugh it off like a joke, but it came out way more shaky than she intended.

 

If her father heard it, he acted like he didn’t.

 

“I guess I am talking like that huh? It must be an old man thing.” He tried to laugh it off too, but Fujikaze could hear it in her fathers voice.  That shakiness.

 

Like father, like daughter, she supposed. 

 

And just like that another paper bomb went off right beneath them, and then went crashing to the ground.

 

She was disoriented for a moment, but she could see her father beside her, unconscious, but still breathing.  She was grabbed by her hair, and forced to look at her uncle but her ears were ringing, and she couldn’t hear a word he said.  He dropped her back to the ground, and she looked back to her father trying desperately to reach for his tool pouch.  She barely managed to get her hand on a kunai when her uncle was in her face again.

 

“If either of you think you’re getting away from me you have another thing coming” He hissed at her.

 

“If you think you’re going to do anything else to me, you’ve got another thing coming!” She snapped back, and before Yamada could see it she had embedded the kunai in his eye.  He stumbled back screaming in shock, and pain.  Fujikaze took a moment to catch her breath before rolling on to her side, and getting on her hands, and knees.  She could see her uncle just a few feet away laying on his back clutching the kunai in his eye, still screaming.

 

She began crawling towards him.

 

She was going to make sure he didn’t get out of this.

 

“I already fucking told you, Yamada.  One way or another, I’m going to fucking end you.”

 

She straddled his chest, and yanked the kunai out of his eye herself.  The scream he let out was piercing.

 

He trembled beneath her, but with his good eye fixed her with the hardest stare she had ever seen out of anyone she’d gone up against.

 

“Kill me Ren.  Do it.  But know that once you do you’ll be no better than me.”

 

“You act like I’ve never had to kill in the line of duty before.” Fujikaze scoffed “If I kill you here, or not has nothing to do with what makes me better than you.  I’ll always be better than you.”

 

She raised the kunai, and stared her uncle down for a moment.

 

He had the audacity to smirk at her.

 

She brought the kunai down.

 

“Ren!”

 

She put it through his shoulder.

 

She looked through the dirty tangled curtain of her hair, and there she saw them.

 

Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto.

 

She had almost killed someone for revenge in front of children.

 

Kakashis students. _Her_ students.

 

Kakashi joined a moment later, and after him came Suko, and a man Fujikaze hadn’t seen before who she would later learn was her other uncle.

 

“Weak” Yamada hissed “Just like your father!”

 

She punched him in the face.

 

“I’m a lot of things, but I’m not weak” She hissed back, getting off him.  She stood there swaying just a little, her legs about to give out.

 

“I think I need to go to a hospital” She said before she fell over, out cold.

 

“Ah! Ren!” Suko ran to catch her as Takuma walked over to Takamori.

 

“Sensei!” Sakura cried running over.

 

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief.  It was finally over.

* * *

 

 

They stayed at the hospital in Kumo for a few extra days while Fujikaze recovered enough to be able to travel.  It was during this time that most of the Fujikaze clan was arrested.  The ones who had plotted with Yamada who had, after receiving treatment, had been taken directly to prison.

 

Ushio was among them, refusing to cooperate.  And with Ushio unwilling to cooperate, Fujikaze remained without her chakra.  And without her chakra, the healing process would take longer it seemed.

 

Her left arm was in a sling, and she was wrapped in bandages from her right shoulder where the kunai had struck her, all the way down to her ribs that were broken.

 

“You could stay you know” Her father said.  He sat in her hospital room with her, smiling patiently at her.

 

“What?”

 

“You could stay.  Here in the Land of Lightning.  You could… help me.  With the clan.”

 

“Dad…”

 

“I’m not asking for an answer right now –”

 

“Dad, I can’t.  I can’t stay here” She said a little more stern than she wanted to say it.

 

He looked at her in surprise for a moment before he smiled softly at her.  “I know.  Maybe I hoped… for just a moment.  But you have a life in Konoha, a business of your own, and… and of course you also have Sasuke to take care of.”

 

“I want you in my life dad.  I do.  But… like you said my life is in Konoha.  But that doesn’t mean we can’t visit. It doesn’t mean we don’t need to be a part of each-others lives.”

 

Takamori smiled.

 

“Besides you need to see my bar at least once.  It has part of your name in it.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“I named it TakaKo. After you, and mom.”

 

Takamori Fujikaze prided himself on being a mans man.  But the moment his daughter told him that her business, the thing she had created with her own two hands, was named after him, and the love of his life; he felt his throat tighten, and tears prick his eyes.

 

“Oh Ren, I wish your mother were still around” He shook his head, that smile still on his face even as he teared up “She’d be so fucking proud of you.”

 

“I hope she would.  That’s all I’ve ever wanted.  For you, and mom to be proud of me.”

 

“We are.  We could never not be.”

 

“Knock, knock!” A nurse greeted opening the door to her room, with an empty wheel chair, and all of team seven behind her.

 

“We finally get to go home!” Naruto shouted as he entered.

 

“Idiot, be quiet!” Sakura snapped “We’re in a hospital!”

 

“Could we have a moment, alone?” Sasuke asked, looking at everyone.

 

“What?” Fujikaze asked surprised looking at her little cousin.

 

“It’s important” He assured her.

 

“We’ll be outside” Kakashi informed leading the two arguing brats out the door. Takamori stood, and walked over to his daughters bedside giving her a strong hug.

 

“I love you Ren.  Always know that.”

 

He pulled back to look at Sasuke, and placed an affectionate hand on his head.

 

“You take care of your cousin, alright? I’m counting on you.”

 

“She’s grown woman, she can take care of herself” Sasuke scoffed.

 

Takamori chuckled anyway, and ruffled Sasukes hair “Of course she is.”

 

Takamori followed the nurse out of the room, and the last two Uchihas were alone.

 

“I saw it.  Before you stopped yourself.” He said.

 

“What do you mean?” She asked eyeing the teenager wearily.

 

“You were going to kill that man.”

 

“I wasn’t going to do that” She tried to assure, but she knew it sounded like a lie.

 

“Ren… he hurt you, he took something away from you, and then after all of that he tried to take more from you.  So you were going to kill him.”

 

“What’s your point Sasuke? This is way more of an adult conversation than you, and I should be having.”

 

“My point is that you, and I are more alike than I thought.” He shrugged.

 

She frowned at him, and fixed him with that angry disappointed look he hated so much.  “Is this about Ita –”

 

“Don’t!”

 

“Is this about _him_?”

 

Sasuke wouldn’t look at her.

 

“Sasuke!”

 

“I will get my revenge, Ren.  That’s all there is to it.  Nothing is going to stop me, like it stopped you.”

 

“Do you know why I stopped?” She demanded suddenly.

 

“Why?” He asked, playing along, not wanting to hear her preach now.

 

“I stopped because I didn’t want you to see me like that.  I’m the adult taking care of you, and I have an example to set, and the fact is that being someone you can look up to is more important to me than any kind of petty revenge no matter how much I wanted it.  And believe me, I wanted to fucking kill Yamada.”

 

“Then why did you stop! You don’t need to be someone I can look up to!”

 

“Yes I do! We have no one but each other Sasuke!”

 

“You have a whole clan here, I’m the only one with nothing!”

 

Fujikaze got out of bed, and slapped Sasuke across the face.

 

“These people are not my family! The only one here that matters is my father, and you, and I both know that he’s going to stay here to take care of that clan that I know nothing about.  My family is you.  My life is in Konoha, and for better or worse, my life is taking care of you now.  Grandma is gone, she wouldn’t want…”

 

Sasuke fixed Fujikaze with a cold look.  His mind wouldn’t be changed.

 

“I have to be better.  I have to be stronger.  So that when the time comes, I can avenge everyone we lost.”

 

“That fucking mark on your neck isn’t going to do anything to help you, you know?” She said grabbing Sasukes shirt collar to look at the mark Orochimaru had placed on him a few months ago now.  “It won’t make you stronger than Itachi, it won’t make you better than Itachi.  As things stand right now between you, and I, the only one who even has a ghost of a chance of taking down Itachi, is me.”

 

“You with no chakra” Sasuke scoffed grabbing her wrist tight, and glaring at her “You’re useless.”

 

And for all the times that she had been called useless in the duration of the time she had been in the Land of Lightning, this was the one that hurt the worst.

 

She let him go, and he let her wrist go.

 

“I’m telling you, that I am going to go after Itachi, and I will do it my way.  And no one will stop me.  Not even you Ren.”

 

Sasuke exited the hospital room then, leaving her there to stare after him.

 

 

Where had she gone wrong?


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some cute domestic housekeeping stuff before we move on to the next arc of heart break

“Well what the fuck am I supposed to do in the mean time?!” Ren snapped rather loudly at Tsunade.  Her former sensei folded her arms across her chest, and sighed in irritation at the young woman’s outburst.  This was just the headache the newly appointed hokage didn’t need.

 

“Enjoy your time off” Tsunade shrugged at her “I can’t do anything about the seal until I study it further, but I can guarantee no matter how long it takes, I’ll be able to remove it.”

 

Upon returning to the village Fujikaze had been immediately put back into the hospital to monitor not only the chakra seal that was placed upon her, but to check that her injuries weren’t aggravated from the journey home.

 

“But –”

 

“No buts.  I’ll let you know as soon as I have something.  Besides after everything that happened in the land of Lighting you could use a break”

 

“I could also use my chakra back, so that I could actually heal faster too” Fujikaze frowned gesturing with her good hand to her arm that was in a sling still, and her torso that was wrapped up in bandages.

 

She had been lucky, the injuries were almost worse but she had been taken to the hospital in Kumo just in time.

 

Tsunade chuckled.  “I promise you Ren, we’ve already acquisitioned every book, and scroll on seals from the Fujikaze compound, and your uncle, and cousin are being questioned as we speak.”

 

“Alright” Fujikaze sighed.

 

“Good.  Now rest up, and let yourself heal. Please.”

 

With that Tsunade exited Fujikaze’s hospital room, finally leaving her alone.

 

She would remain alone it seemed until team seven returned.  As soon as they had arrived back in Konoha, they had been sent on another mission.  Leaving the small red headed Jonin to heal alone.

* * *

 

 

 

It was on her third day in the hospital that a familiar face came by.

 

“Ah! Ren, you’ve returned to the village!” Loud as ever Might Gai entered her peacefully quiet room.  She looked up from her book, and smiled at the older Jonin.

 

“Hello Gai, how have you been?”

 

“Fantastic! Thanks to Lady Tsunade, Lee will soon be able to commence his training!”

 

“That’s great news” She replied looking back to her book.

 

“And what of you Ren?  You seem to be in…”  Gai trailed off trying to find the right word.

 

“Rough shape?” She offered.

 

“That, yes” Gai nodded.

 

“While I was in the Land of Lightning I was marked with a seal that keeps me from accessing my chakra.  Tsunade Sensei is working on it as we speak, but my hopes aren’t high.”

 

“Well then, as soon as you’re able, you’ll begin training with Lee, and I” He announced.

 

“Oh Gai, that’s not necessary.”

 

“Nonsense! You’re a wonderful, and capable Kunoichi, the village would be at a loss without you!”

 

“That’s not true at all” Fujikaze chuckled, “Besides it gives me time to focus on my business.  Poor Hyuna is always so stressed running that place for me.”

 

“Ah… speaking of Ms. Hyuna…” Gai spoke quietly, and Fujikaze looked at the taijutsu curiously.

 

He was blushing, and flustered.  Fujikaze slowly smirked, like the fucking cat that ate the canary.

 

“What was that Gai?” She asked.

 

“W-well is she… that is to say uh… is Ms. Hyuna…”

 

“She’s single if that’s what you’re asking.”

 

Gai stared at Fujikaze in shock for a moment, and then grinned ear to ear.

 

“The springtime of my eternal love finally blossoms! Thank you, Ren! I need to see her right away!” Gai shouted exiting Fujikaze’s room.

 

“Get her chocolate! She loves sweets!” Fujikaze yelled after him, and then shook her head going back to her book.

 

“Maybe now I won’t have to train with him” She muttered to herself.

* * *

 

 

 

“Well hey Kiddo, welcome home” Asuma stood in the doorway of her hospital room, he carried a bouquet of flowers in a simple vase.

 

“Really Asuma, flowers? You didn’t have to get me flowers.”

 

“Hah! Yeah I really shouldn’t have.  When I went into the flower shop Ino wouldn’t stop pestering me who they were for.”

 

“Oh you know that girl, thinks everyone is in love with everyone.”

 

“Yeah…” Asuma watched her for a moment as he handed her the vase, and smiled “I finally caved, and told her they were for you, that’s what she put together.”

 

“Ah, so I have Ino to thank for this lovely bouquet.  What’s all in here?” She asked.  Even though she’d taken the same flower arranging classes as all the other girls in the academy she’d quickly put it aside for things that better suited her.  Like practicing her fireball jutsu.

 

“Oh uh… hold on” Asuma dug through his pockets to find the cheat sheet that Ino had written for him, just in case Fujikaze asked what was in the bouquet.  “Uh theres… pink camellia, pink carnation, blue hyacinth, white jasmine, yellow tulip, and violets.”

 

Asuma looked at Fujikaze trying to hold in her laughter.

 

“What? What’s so funny?’ Asuma demanded.

 

“She gave you a cheat sheet!” Fujikaze giggled.

 

“Look kiddo, no one ever said I was good at remembering things.”

 

“Oh don’t I know Mr. Forgot-Our-Anniversary-Every-Year.”

 

“Yeah well…” He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment “Anyway Ino said those all meant like… loyalty, and friendship. Made them seem right I guess.”

 

Fujikaze set the vase on the night stand next to her.

 

“They’re lovely, Asuma.  Thank you.”

 

He smiled back at her, and sat down in the chair in her room.

 

It was just like him to do something silly like this, she thought.  She would always be his Kiddo, and he would always be her Jerk.  No matter how far apart they strayed, no matter who they were with.  They each had that spot in each-others hearts.

 

“How you been holding up?” He asked.

 

“Could be better” She shrugged with her good shoulder.  “They’re waiting till my ribs are more healed up before they release me, should be in a couple more days.”

 

“And that?” Asuma tapped his own shoulder in the same spot where Fujikazes seal was. Visible due to the sleeveless black top that Kakashi had brought to her as a change of clothes before he headed off on his current mission with the brats.

 

Fujikaze rolled her eyes.

 

“You tell Gai one thing, and he just can’t keep his mouth shut.”

 

“We’re all friends, we all worry about each other.”

 

“Tsunade Sensei said she’s working on something.  I trust her.”

 

“So you really don’t have any chakra?”

 

Fujikaze shook her head.

 

“That’s fucking rough.”

 

“You’re telling me” She sighed, but then looked at Asuma suspiciously “Anyway, why the visit?”

 

“I can’t just visit my best friend?”

 

She smirked at him.  “I’m your best friend? That’s fucking rough.”

 

“Oh shut up kiddo, you know you’re my best friend.”

 

“I know.  It’s still fun to give you shit about it.”

 

“I heard you were in the hospital, I was worried, so I wanted to check in on you.”

 

“I appreciate it.”

 

“Seriously Kiddo, stop doing stupid shit, you’re going to give me a heart attack.”

 

Asuma gave her this pained look, and she finally understood.  All this time, and he still loved her.  They loved each-other.  But that story ended, and the book was best left closed.

 

“Stupid is my middle name” She responded with that stupid toothy grin of hers.  Asuma sighed, and leaned back in his seat.

 

“What am I gonna do with you?”

 

Outside her hospital room stood team ten watching intently; Ino had forced the boys of her team along with her.  After all it wasn't every day her sensei bought flowers for somebody, and she needed to know exactly how it all went down.  But she had never expected them to be for Ren sensei, so when her sensei had finally caved, and said just who they were for she just had to see for herself.  After all the genin by now knew that Ren Fujikaze was with Kakashi Sensei.  Naruto had of course taken it upon himself to shout all over village for everyone to hear, and judge.  But this? This was juicy gossip Ino was eager to lord over all the other genin.

 

“Hey” Shikamaru sighed, looking at her “I know that troublesome look on your face.”

 

“What look?” Ino protested.

 

“That’s your gossip face” Choji announced “Everyone knows your gossip face.”

 

“What he said” Shikamaru agreed.

 

“It’s just… look at them!” Ino argued throwing her arms out towards the hospital door.

 

“What about them?” Shikamaru asked folding his arms.

 

“Ugggh! You just don’t understand love, and relationships!”

 

“And you do?”

 

“Better than you do!” Ino stuck her tongue out at him, and then sighed clasping her hands together with a dreamy look on her face “They’re just so perfect for each other! Their relationship is just so romantic, and heartbreaking at the same time! And I made sure to pick out the perfect flowers to help Asuma Sensei tell Ren Sensei what she means to him!”

 

“Look, what they say, do, and whatever their relationship with each other is, is none of our business.  Lets go” Shikamaru frowned at the excited girl, and turned to walk away, Choji in tow.

 

“But –” Ino huffed, and followed after her teammates with her arms folded across her chest.  They were no fun.

* * *

 

 

A week past, and Fujikaze was out of the hospital, and out of the arm sling, but still limited on mobility due to her still healing ribs.  There was also no news yet from her former sensei on the chakra seal.

 

All in all things still weren’t even close to looking up for her.

 

But in the meantime she did still have her business, and so found herself that afternoon doing inventory, and looking to order new things for her bar.

 

“Well, well. Welcome back to the world of the working.”

 

She frowned at the voice, and turned to the entrance of TakaKo with her clipboard in hand.

 

“Hello Genma.  What an unpleasant surprise” She frowned at her intruder.

 

He walked up to the bar, and leant forward on it, hands in front of him.

 

“Oh sweetheart, don’t even play.  You know you still secretly enjoy my visits” He winked.  She gave him that dead eyed look of pure annoyance.

 

“Listen…”

 

“Look, you can’t fault me for checking in on you.”

 

“Doesn’t mean I like it.”

 

“Doesn’t mean I’ll stop doing it” He retorted, and Fujikaze was taken aback for a moment “We were together for two years.  You were a big part of my life, whether you like it or not.”

 

Fujikaze sighed, and rubbed her forehead.  She could feel a headache coming on.

 

“Just… why are you here. Saying these things now?”

 

“Hatake finally isn’t around to glare at me” He shrugged.

 

“Kakashi doesn’t do that” Fujikaze rolled her eyes.

 

“He does.  Every single time.  I kinda get the feeling the guy might hate me or something” Genma frowned at her “Might be because a certain beautiful red head had a nasty thing or two to say about me.”

 

She smirked “It was definitely more than two.”

 

“Ouch” Genma winced, and put his hand over his heart “You really don’t pull any punches sweetheart.”

 

“Only when my heart gets broken.”

 

“Tch, I know.  I remember all the nasty shit you used to say about Asuma after you two broke up before you got with me.  If I remember he was banned from even coming in TakaKo for months after you opened.”

 

“And technically you’re banned until further notice too, so I suggest you get to the point of your visit.”

 

“I’m worried about you” Genma shrugged “That’s it.  I just wanted to see that you were ok with my own eyes.  I heard from Ebisu that when you got back to Konoha you were in rough shape.”

 

“And why the fuck does Ebisu knew I was in rough shape?”

 

“He heard from Gai.  Believe it or not I still keep in touch with my former squad mates.”

 

“I’m gonna smack Gai’s big fucking mouth off his face.”

 

“That’s my girl” Genma chuckled, Fujikaze glared. He put his hands up in defense “Sorry, sorry.  Not my girl.”

 

“Look Genma, you’ve already been told, that whatever you have to say about me, my wellbeing, and so on, and so forth; that I don’t want to fucking hear it until you actually own up for what you fucking did to me.  Now please. Leave” She stared him down with a look that was pure irritation.

 

Genma sighed.

 

“Sweetheart –”

 

“Yo”

 

Enter her savior.

 

“Well.  Guess that’s my cue to leave” Genma sighed “Maybe one day I’ll get to finish what I have to say.  See you around sweetheart.”

 

Genma turned to leave, and on his way out shoulder checked Kakashi.  Kakashi narrowed his eyes, and watched as the tokubetsu jonin walked away.

 

“So you’re finally back?”

 

He turned to look at the reason he was here.  Her bright smile lighting up her face as she looked at him.  He loved that.  That just the sight of him made her smile like that.

 

“Yeah.  It was a simple escort mission” He responded thinking back to team sevens time in the Land of Snow.  Simple was not the word he would normally use to describe it, but better to not make Fujikaze worry.

 

“Good! You didn’t come all the way here after just getting home did you?” She chided “You know Sensei will be mad if she doesn’t get her mission reports.”

 

Kakashi sighed, and rubbed the back of his head.  He had missed this.  Had missed her.  Despite everything she was going through right now though, she was still smiling, and still worrying about him.

 

He loved her.

 

And that thought scared him.  It had now been six months of… whatever their relationship was, and he was already thinking of telling her that he loved her, and he wasn’t sure how she would take.  Not after the last two failures of relationships she’d gone through.  He didn’t want to rush her, or push her away but…

 

_He loved her._

 

“Ren I…” He trailed off.  Not sure what to say exactly, or how to continue, so he smiled, took a breath, and settled on “I missed you.”

 

She stared at him shocked for a second, and then smiled softly him.  “I missed you too.”

 

How right it all felt just then.  Like for once everything was falling in place instead of falling apart.

 

“REN!!!!”

 

Of course the moment was ruined.  Something always was.  In the entrance of TakaKo stood Anko Mitarashi, grinning ear to ear.

 

“Fucking hell, Anko! Do you really have to come in here screaming?”

 

“You’re back!” She announced eager like a child.

 

“Yeah, no shit, I’ve been back for over a week!”

 

“And you didn’t tell me?!”

 

“I was in the fucking hospital!”

 

“You fucking bitch! That’s no reason to not tell me you’re back!”

 

Kakashi watched in awe for a moment as the two kunoichi bickered back, and forth but quickly remembered that the two young women were close friends, having shared many missions as Chunin, and later Jonin. He'd heard they were an amazing team.

 

“Ah… ladies –” Kakashi tried to interrupt, but both women glared at him. He just shut his mouth, and opened his book.  Anko sat down next to him, and continued to give Fujikaze the stink eye.

 

“What?” Fujikaze sighed.  She just wanted to finish her inventory list.  Anko just continued to stare her down.

 

Fujikaze finally sighed, and reached under the bar for two shot glasses, and quickly filled them with a brightly colored sweet liqueur that even Kakashi could smell from where he sat.

 

Both women knocked back the shot like it was nothing.

 

“Better?” Fujikaze asked.

 

“I dunno… I might need another… five.”

 

Fujikaze rolled her eyes, and refilled the shot glasses, and they repeated the process.

 

“Now I’m better” Anko grinned after her final shot.  “And you’re hanging out with me, and Kurenai tonight.”

 

“Oh man, see I would but Kakashi just got home and…”

 

She looked to Kakashi for help.

 

“Oh don’t let me get in the way of you spending time with your friends” He smiled at her.

 

She wished she had her chakra back just so she could punch his stupid face out of TakaKo.

 

“Alright! Soju bombs, and bar-be-que!”

 

It was going to be a long night.

 

At least she thought it was, until her sensei came strolling in.

 

“Two things” Tsunade announced hands on her hips, everyone looked at her in surprise “First: I need a drink.  Second: I’ve found a way to remove that seal.”

 

“Wait, seriously?”

 

“Seriously to the seal, or to the drink?”

 

“Both.”


End file.
